Doya Doya Naked Festival

After looking up on the internet for interesting things to do in Kansai the night before, I decided to attend the Doya Doya Hadaka Matsuri at Shitennoji Temple at Tennoji, Osaka. Doya Doya Hadaka (Naked) Festival is a Purification Ceremony in which two groups of young men compete for a sacred good luck amulet of the cow god Gyu-o-Hoin attached to the temple's central pillar, yelling "Doya! Doya!".

However, on the way there, I had extra time, so I visited the Byodoin Temple and Ujigami Shrine in Uji, Nara. These are UNESCO sights. The Byodoin Temple is in particularly very famous because its Phoenix Hall can be found on the 10 yen coin.

Also, after the festival, Daiya showed me around Tennoji, particularly the Shin-Sekai area. The name is quite misleading because it means "New World." However in reality, the area is already quite old and outdated. Back in days, this part of town was named Shin-Sekai because it was touted as the most modern place in Osaka. However, such a name loses the meaning as it becomes surpassed by the surrounding areas. (a different topic, but I also disagree with the naming of Shinkansen)