7. Takeuchi Festival, Japan

About 200 men battle it out in the opposing teams by whacking each other with 6-metre bamboo poles.[Photo/Australiaplus.com/Chinese]

After the romance of Valentine's Day, hundreds of men in the town of Rokugo gather for a manly clash between the north and the south.

About 200 men on opposing teams battle it out every February 15 by whacking each other with six-metre bamboo poles.

The battle is played over three rounds, with the stakes raised in the final round when the poles are set alight by a bonfire.

It is believed that if team north wins there will be a good harvest, and if team south wins the price of rice will increase.

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