Bellybuttons bared for annual festival

Updated 11.53 Mon Jul 28 2008
Keywords: dancing, festival, Shibukawa, tradition, Tokyo, Japan, naval, stomach, body art, body, art, paint, belly button, bellybutton, belly

Over 1,000 people have taken part in an annual bellybutton painting festival in a Japanese town.

Festival -goers gathered in the streets of Shibukawa city, north of the Japanese capital Tokyo to celebrate their naval and shout, "Belly-button festival".

"The bellybutton is traditionally believed to be located in the middle of the body and the most important part" - organiser Kazuo Yamada

"The bellybutton is traditionally believed to be located in the middle of the body and the most important part. Our town, Shibukawa, is also called the bellybutton of Japan. That is how this festival began," said one of the organisers, Kazuo Yamada.

While the festival is not an ancient one, it is based on a traditional parade performance that requires a face to be painted on one's stomach and pretend it is a head.

A kimono and hands are wrapped around at waist level and the real head is hidden by a large cloth hat.

And the bellybutton is traditionally - but not always - painted as a mouth.

And you don't even need to be a local to enjoy it.

"I have actually been waiting for this festival for the entire time I have been in Japan. How much better does it get than having your belly painted. It's been a great time, my friends told me, 'yeah, Jake, you have to come'. So I decided to come on out. It's been fun," said Jason Mason, a 26-year-old English teacher from California.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.