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福男
日本の三大奇祭の一つに数えられる「西大寺会陽（さいだいじえよう）」は、たった2本の宝木を9000人の男達が奪い合い、今年一年間の「福男」を決める仏教行事。福男とは、神仏から福をもたらされる人物のことであり、厚い信仰心があってこそ宝木を授かると信じられている。当然のように、福男には人々の注目が集まり、日常生活が一変するほどもてはやされる。そこで試されるのが、福男の品位や人格。身にあまる福によって精神を崩すことなく、神仏から授かった福を人々に還元していく役目を背負わなければならない。500年以上の歴史を持つ「会陽」の根底には、一時代の主義や流行を超えた「人間の在り方」が大切に受け継がれている。

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"Blessed man"
The Saidai-ji Eyo festival, considered one of the three strangest festivals of Japan, is a Buddhist ritual in which 9000 men compete to grab just a pair of sacred wooden sticks to decide who will be the "Blessed man" for the year. A blessed man is one to whom the gods and Buddhas have brought good fortune, and it is believed that those who are awarded the sacred sticks receive them because of their deep piety. Naturally, these blessed man gain attention from others, and enjoy enough popularity to completely change their daily lives. Therefore, what is tested of each blessed man is his dignity and character. He must not let his abundant luck ruin his spirit, and must bear the task of returning the luck bestowed upon him by the gods and Buddhas back to the people. The over 500 year-old tradition of Eyo is based on an underlying understanding of the state of human life, greater than the ideals and trends of a single generation, and this idea has been cherished and passed down through the centuries.

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