The 'fighting festival' Click to enjoy pictures.

Each year portable shrines (palanquins weighing more than 2 tons) are created, and destroyed, and rebuilt again for next year's festival.

"They slam the palanquins not because they are violent but because it is said that by acting vigorously they purge the evil spirit, and that this pleases gods." And, "They are clad only in loincloths, because they go before gods without any affectation."

The greatest attraction is the struggle among 3 portable shrines when men in their 40s wearing white headbands, those in their 30s with yellow headbands and youths in their 20s marked by red headbands, holding bamboo poles in their hands, join in the fight. Read more by clicking link:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a56_fes_nada.html