This is naked ambition.
Around 9,000 men wearing only loin clothes crowded into the Saidaiji Temple in Okayama, Japan on Saturday in the hopes of grabbing one of the lucky talismans thrown by priests, according to Getty.
The ritual dates back to 1510, according to the Wall Street Journal, referencing the temple's website.
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It isn't all naked fun and games. There are "a handful of minor injuries every year," the Journal reports.
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Sacred wood is collected from a nearby temple to make the lucky talisman as part of the preparations for the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 4, 2015 in Okayama, Japan. Some 9,000 men will battle to grab the pair of lucky sticks thrown by priests in one of the most vibrant festivals in Japan.
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Monks pray on a lucky talisman twice daily in the weeks leading up to the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 19, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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A loincloth and a paper with vital health and contact information are needed to participate in the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan. Some 9,000 men battle to grab a pair of lucky sticks thrown by priests in this one of the most vibrant festivals in Japan.
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A participant inserts a paper with his name, blood type and emergency contact number into his loincloth at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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Friends help each other tighten up their loincloths at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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Men rush to escape the freezing water that is part of the purification process at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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Men cram into the temple waiting for priests to drop the sacred talisman at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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Chaos ensues after lucky talisman are dopped into the crowd at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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Tape identifies team members in the chaos at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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The scuffle for the talisman spills outside the temple at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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Men watch in disappointment as the talisman leaves the temple gates with the victors at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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The lucky talisman is placed in a box of rice by the men who successfully brought it through the temple gate at the Hadaka Matsuri, or Naked Festival at Saidaiji Temple on February 21, 2015 in Okayama, Japan.
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