Navel - Navel Exposure in World Cultures - Japanese Culture - Belly Button Festival

Belly Button Festival

Although navel exposure has become a recent trend in fashion in Japan, annual belly button festivals (Heso Matsuri) have been held in Japan since the late 1960s. The tradition of the Hokkaido Belly Button Dance (Heso Odori) began in 1968. It was decided that a town festival was needed, in order to unify and energize Furano's people, who were spread over a large area. Inspired by Furano's location in the very middle of Hokkaido, the festival organizers came up with the idea of a dance featuring the belly button. The dance initially was not popular. In the first official Heso Matsuri, only 11 people joined the dance. However, Heso Matsuri has become one of the most famous summer festivals in Hokkaido over the years, drawing people from around Japan and the world. Dancers make their heso (belly button) into a face, using paint, special costumes, and props. Many variations of the dance have been developed, leading to competitions among dancers, who compete for prizes in various categories.

A similar type festival is held at Shibukawa, north of Tokyo. The idea was formed based on the location of Shibukawa, which is also referred to as the "Belly button of Japan." The festival is based on a traditional Japanese form of entertainment where revelers paint a face on their torsos and stomachs to appear as a head. A kimono is wrapped around the waist and the person's real head is hidden by a large cloth hat. The belly button is traditionally painted into a mouth. In recent years, modern motifs and Japanese anime designs have appeared in the festival.