On February 2, 2025, the traditional "Hyakudouchi" event took place in the Oganari district of Taiza,Tango-cho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture. Men clad in sumo mawashi (traditional Japanese apron) yelled "Wasshoi, Wasshoi" and ran barefoot through the seaside town in the howling cold wind.
It is said to have started in the Edo period, and is held twice a year, around Setsubun (a time for making prayers) and at the autumn festival as a way to give thanks. As a vestige of the time when sumo was popular, people began to run with "shikona"-style characters on their mawashi, such as "Tateiwa," "Inariyama," and "Hamaarashi," which are associated with local landmarks and the sea.
On this day, 13 local men participated. They left the Oganari Community Center at around 7 a.m. and ran about two kilometers. Along the way, each participant picked up six pebbles at Ushirogahama Beach, which offers a panoramic view of the Sea of Japan, and offered two each to the three shrines of Mihashira, Inari and Hayao, praying for protection from misfortune and good health.
A 40-year-old office worker who got married in March last year said with satisfaction, "I was invited by a classmate to participate for the first time, and I prayed for family harmony. My feet were cold, but I enjoyed the run."
