A festival was held in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, that included the tradition of semi-naked men scrambling to catch a pair of wooden sticks said to bring good luck.

The Eyo Festival is also known as the "naked festival." It was held at the Saidaiji temple on Saturday night.

Men wearing only loincloths and split-toe tabi socks competed to catch sacred sticks. The tradition is designated as one of Japan's intangible folk cultural assets.

About 9,000 men participated in the event, which was cancelled the past three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Participants packed into the temple's main hall, putting their arms around others' shoulders as they chanted.

The lights were switched off at 10 p.m. and the 20-centimeter-long sticks were thrown into the crowd.

The two groups who managed to grab them and carry them out of the hall were designated "lucky men".

One of the lucky winners, Ozaki Yoshitaka, said he was filled with happiness. The 59-year-old said he hopes to spend the coming year sharing his happiness with others.