The Japanese fishermen Festival of Crossdressing

In Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, rural population, a very strange festival is held in April each year. Local fishermen to wear women's clothes, a board brightly decorated fishing boats, vessels in the Gulf near the "dance", all the audience singing and dancing on the deck. Tradition says that the safe waters and good catches town. Or curious visitors, at least.

The boats are covered with bright red and white banner that a good catch, and cedar branches. They set sail from the local port and is gathered in Osezaki Bay.

Fishermen painting their faces white, and the women nagajunban or kimono. They perform a traditional fan dance and singing drums and wind chimes. Once they achieve their purpose, they boarded the stage and bream, yellow and other expensive fish and sake as a gift of the gods.

Yoshiaki Nomura, according to the high priest at the local temple, dedicated to God is male, so it is considered to be the custom of wearing women's clothing, because a man of God will be very pleased to see so many women to dance for him. This lively dance festival history can be traced back to the mid-Meiji era (1868-1912).

If you can not make the marsh to see the spectacle to see these great videos.