This 500-year-old tradition, said to have its roots in the legend of a dragon god (Ryujin) offering two balls to the Empress Jingu (170-269), takes place each year in Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka City, Japan. Two teams of men wearing only loincloths (fundoshi) compete for a ball that weighs about 18 pounds; these teams consist of the Land Team, made up of farmers who work the fields, and the Sea team, composed of fishermen. A Shinto priest awaits the winner to hand him the ball—the size of the harvest or of the catch during the New Year is determined by which team wins. Discussfrom Today's Holiday http://ift.tt/2DSTVO4
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