It is also known under the vernacular name of "penis festival" and attracts each year a growing number of foreign visitors searching for unusual experiences in Japan. The Kawasaki Kanamara Festival on the first Sunday of April is one of the most crowded spring festivals in Japan. Some of them are quite interesting, and some of them are quiteunusual. Kanamara Matsuri is a festival that you need to see to believe and it has such a happy and exciting vibe that you cannot help but walk away with a smile on your face. Web (shrine) Kanayama Jinja. Bringing in over thirty-thousand attendees, with foreigners . As the cold of winter becomes a fading memory, nature blooms and flowers open their petals, announcing in a display of wild colors, that they are ready for fecundation. Kanamara Festival (Kanamara matsuri/ ), in an easy way to understand, Penis Festival. Hostels in Tokyo Booking.com, Laws and Regulations On Gambling In Japan, Les Rallizes Denudes & The Yodo-go Hijack, Masao Adachi Director & Screenwriter , Ureshino Sightseeing Museum of Hidden Treasures. As such, many blacksmiths and metalworking companies are among those who worship at the shrine. 4 Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival. 1. Oh name of this portable shrine is . Share your passion for Japan with the world. I recommend going at least once, though it was extremely crowded and a pain walking around with people constantly bumping into you. Create your Kanpai account to manage your profile and view your participation history (questions, answers). Its origins can be traced back to an ancient Japanese legend. The event is rather convivial, and some visitors come with family and young children, something we do not especially recommend. In the 1980s, worshippers began coming in hopes of warding off AIDS. It is still necessary to behave appropriately as anywhere in Japan. The Kanamara Matsuri () also known as " Festival of the Steel Phallus " is a traditional Shinto festival. Expect to encounter visitors of all sexual variations, some making their preferences quite clear via their outfits or attitudes. Table of Contents [ hide] 1 Mitama Matsuri festival. The building here features a characteristic decoration of wood phalluses on the top of the fences, and a large collection of ema plates, whose back are adorned with explicit illustrations. The kami worshipped in Kanayama-jinja are Hiko and Hime, a godly couple protecting blacksmiths and sexuality. As expected, when we arrived at about 1pm, the place was packed. Revelers carry a portable shrine with a large iron phallus through a street during the Kanamara Matsuri, or "Festival of the Steel Phallus," in Kawasaki, Japan, on April 3, 2016. Kanamara's role as a patron of the smiths grew to include workers in the sex industry when . Inaugurated in 1931 on the bay, the airport, Maxell Aqua Park is an aquarium located inside the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, in Minato ward in the south of, The South of Tokyo includes the wards of Shinagawa and Ota, notably home of the International airport of, Miraikan is the Japanese name of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, located on Odaibas, Tokyo has a number of these "green lungs" such as Yoyogi, Shinjuku Gyoen or its many Japanese gardens and, The nickname given to the famous Odaiba Polder, EntertainmentIsland is definitely not a misnomer: in, The Gundam RX-78-2 statue represents a life size giant robot, of about 20 meters high, from the mecha series, The headquarters of Japanese television network Fuji TV are located in Odaiba, in Minato ward in Tokyo. The Kawasaki Kanamara Festival on the first Sunday of April is one of the most crowded spring festivals in Japan. It pays to arrive rather early in the morning. If you want to see Japan at its liveliest, a high-energy matsuri is the place to do it! The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade. Johannes Schonherr: a guide to the Kanayama Festival Kawasaki. Kanamara Matsuri Festivities (2007), by Saya M., CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. This gives people an opportunity to think sex is just a part of our life and nothing to ashamed of. Nowadays, this legend is illustrated with a reconstitution of a blacksmith shop and its anvil in the shrines grounds, as well as the many representations of the male organ and the vernacular name of the place, Kanamara-sama, which literally means "iron penis.". In recent years, it caused a sensation in Japan and abroad being introduced as a "penis festival" and has also gathered attention as a major event in the LGBT+ social . Kanamara Matsuri, which translates as "Festival of the Steel Phallus," is a Shinto festival held annually on the first Sunday of April in Kawasaki, Japan. Many believe the festival celebrates a legend about a demon who fell in love with a beautiful woman and when she spurned him, the jealous, sharp-toothed demon . April 2, 2017. There are more booths here, selling penis-shaped memorabilia. Image of costume, festive, asia - 142819781 Media in category "Kanamara Festival". Memorize them at a fast pace with our method. The nickname "penis festival" is well earned for Kanamara Matsuri as the male organ is omnipresent in every detail of the decoration and animations, and of course, in the surprising showstoppers: the mikoshi portable floats. After the end of the parade, concerts are staged at the shrine. They all have different meanings and histories. It is also known under the vernacular name of penis festival and attracts each year a growing number of foreign visitors searching for unusual experiences in Japan. So you're probably wondering why the Japanese celebrate the "steel phallus." Well, legend has it that sometime back in the Edo period (1603-1867), there was a sharp-toothed demon who fell in love with a beautiful woman. While there are rarely problems, security guards are on-hand to deal with lewdness, harassment, and other serious buzzkills. Name: Komaki Honen Matsuri. Penis sausages, penis candies, penis costumes, and penis parades all things one would probably come across . This was when the festival's popularity began to spread outside the local area. Author's photo at Kanamara Matsuri. Food and drink vendors are present here as well and there is no shortage of tables and benches. The penis, the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi (portable shrine) parade. The Kanamara Matsuri ( or "Festival of the Steel Phallus") is one of the most unusual festivals in Japan. In early April, Kawasaki city burst with visitors thanks to its lively and unique . Legend has it, however, that the god protector of the shrine (Izanami) was born to the god of fire (Gazukuchi), so it was . More formally known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus, Kanamara Matsuri is celebrated annually on the first Sunday in April, at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, just south of Tokyo. Kanayama Shrine, the venue for the festival, is located on the grounds of Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine, a 2-minute walk from Kawasaki-Daishi Station on the Keihin Express Daishi Line. Rather than a focus on the sex industry, the theme has gradually morphed into a more general fertility rite for successful pregnancy and marriage. Ikegami Honmonji Temple Oeshiki Ceremony. Kanamara Festival is also called "Festival of the Steel Phallus" and the main theme of the event, phallus, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi . The Kanamara Festival is quite literally the penis festival, as "mara" is one word for penis in Japanese, and together "kanamara" means "iron penis." All of this puts the popular festival right on the edge of taboo, so what does a penis festival look like in Japan? A popular attraction offers to carve big white daikon radishes into an explicit shape. This festivals called Kanamara Festival, direct translation will be iron penis festival, kana means metal in this case iron, mara means slung for penis. Kawasaki Morimori Food Festival. Parade: 14:00. In Japan, on the first Sunday of every April, the streets of Kawasaki are filled with colorful phallic-shaped items and foods. 718. 2 Gion Matsuri. The unique festival with the unusual float might seem like a modern invention, but its traditional roots can actually be traced back to the Edo period (1603 - 1868), when the festival was originally held to honour Kanamara, the god of blacksmithing. According to my research, this penis-venerating shrine has been popular for years with sex workers who would pray for protection from STDs. They healed her burns, and thus also became protector gods against diseases affecting the lower part of the body and especially genital organs. Today, the festival is, quite predictably, a big date on the event calendar of the Tokyo queer scene. Kanamara fertility festival in Kawasaki - Kanagawa Prefecture. The stall offering genitalia-themed lollipops here offers King and Queen candy-sugared replicas of male and female genitalia to lick, suck, and to pose for photos with. The third, largest and most outlandish of the penis mikoshi is made of pink plastic. People carry a large phallus-like statue during the annual Kanamara Festival in Kawasaki on April 2, 2017. The parade usually ends at Kawasaki Daishi Park. Today the festival is famous for the three phallus-shaped mikoshi, or portable shrines, that participants carry in procession. The festival centers around penises, which appear everywhere, as candy, on hats, and on clothing. * The information on this page may be subject to change due to COVID-19. Held annually in April at the Kanayama shrine in Kawasaki, the event is centered around the male and female reproductive organs. Perhaps this festival is a relief for Japanese people. Copyright Japan National Tourism Organization. It spurred Kanayama shrines worshippers to hold a festival to which anyone could participate in broad daylight without discrimination. From Shinagawa Station, take the Keikyu Main Line to Keikyu Kawasaki, change to the Keikyu Daishi Line, and get off at Kawasakidaishi. There are so many that picking the best ones if tough, but here are just a few of the most exciting matsuri festivals. We decided to first line up to buy the infamous penis and vagina candy (600 yen each) and ended up queuing for about half an hour to get these novelties a few desperate people even cut in line. The Kanamara Festival always takes place on the first Sunday in April. Kanamara.vn. It is named Elisabeth and arrived as a gift from a group of Tokyo Asakusa drag queens. The Kanamara Matsuri is a Japanese festival originally intended to offer prayers for fertility, business prosperity, and good marital relationships. Over time the shrine also because popular with sex workers who visited to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. The Kanamara Festival has its roots in the history of Edo Japan, long before newspapers such as The Independent and The Guardian decided to make it a headline. The center of attention at the festival is the human phallus just as plain and simple as that. Overall, it was a fun, interesting festival. January (4th Saturday): Yamayaki - Grass burning Festival (Nara) The Grass Burning Festival is unique and well worth visiting. It is said that women working in the roads inns, as well as servants and prostitutes, came to Kanayama shrine to pray for protection against diseases and infortune. It is also possible to stroll in the surrounding streets with a lollipop shaped as male or female genitalia and walk into other very lively areas, in the same exuberant ambiance as in the shrines grounds. The Kanamara Festival () is held on the first Sunday in April every year at the Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan.The shrine is just a three-minute walk from Kawasaki-Daishi Station on the Keikyu-Daishi Line. 2-13-16 Daishi Ekimae, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture 210-0802. This traditional festival is held in the city of Kawasaki every spring, just outside of Tokyo, and the festivities are right out there in the open. The Kanamara Matsuri (Kanamara Festival) at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki city, just south of Tokyo, displays a much more direct and honest approach to celebrating human sexuality. The highlight of the festival is the trio of outlandish erect phalluses carried on portable shrines. Hotels in Yokohama Agoda You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Traditional Japanese kimono are available for rent at Kanayama Shrine and many people following the parade don them. (), 2-13-16 Kawasaki Daishi Eki-mae, Yokohama-Shi (Map) The boisterous procession of sacred phalluses, Quirky and unique phallus-themed merchandise and food. Japanese Festivals in April 4. Map: The Kanamara Matsuri is but one of a number of "penis," fertility festivals that take place across Japan. [6][7], The festival started in 1969. Large pink phallic-shaped 'Mikoshi' is paraded through the streets during Kanamara Matsuri on April 1, 2018 in Kawasaki, Japan. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}353204.35N 1394328.67E / 35.5345417N 139.7246306E / 35.5345417; 139.7246306. The next Kanamara Festival will take place on Sunday, 7 April 2019. The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (, "Festival of the Steel Phallus") is an annual Japanese festival held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine (, Kanayama-jinja) in Kawasaki, Japan. Today, the festival is extremely popular among tourists and is used to raise money for HIV research. Japan's ancient Kanamara Matsuri has more relevance for the country today than it may seem. The first mikoshi processions start at 11:30, and arriving early allows to immerse in the spring festivals atmosphere and visit the handful of stalls mainly set in the shrines grounds. Date: 5th April, 2022. Category. [8] Today, it has become something of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research.[9]. Share your opinion, More convenient than its alter ego Narita, Party atmosphere in Kawasakis historical district. Kanamara Matsuri is a one-of-a-kind festival held annually on the first Sunday of April at Kawasaki's Kanayama Shrine. Sure if you are with friends you will end up making lots of silly jokes, but on the other hand, this is just a small festival that got it's popularity somehow out of control, especially with foreigners who exited to see this strange festival, that make a big part of the crowd. Location: 210-0024 Nisshin-cho Kawasaki-ku Kawasaki Kawasaki, Japan Kawasaki City Nisshin-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Japan . https://en.japantravel.com/kanagawa/kanamara-penis-festival/1318, "Elizabeth", the pink penis, parades along Daishisando (Photo: Ignatius Koh). It is now organized every spring, on the first Sunday of April and attracts about 30,000 persons, of which 60% are foreign visitors, a number that increases each year. Kawasaki is a city of Kanagawa prefecture, located in Tama River's mouth, between Tokyo and Yokohama. Don't Miss The boisterous procession of sacred phalluses Despite the large presence of gay people, despite the festival celebrating sexuality in general and the male organ in particular, despite the many vendors selling penis-shaped jewelry and lucky charms and yes, despite beer being on sale from the morning on, nobody seemed to be in the mood to cross over into any over-raucous behavior. The iconic pink penis, named Elizabeth, was donated by a drag queen club called Elizabeth. Access. The beautiful Kawasaki Daishi temple also has its usual quietness disrupted. The Kanamara Festival (aka the Penis Festival) at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki features phallic images in everything from the decorations to snacks (as well as your regular festival food ). 2-13-16 Daishi Ekimae, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture 210-0802, Japan. Your feedback is confidential and will be used to help improve this page. Keikyu Kawasaki Station is a short walk from JR Kawasaki Station. Despite the crowd, the matsuri unfolds without excesses. The shrine is part of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine and located near Kawasaki-Daishi Station. Penises of all colors and sizes take over Kawasaki city during the Kanamara Matsuriaka the Penis Festival. If, while traveling to Japan, you stumble upon a crowd carrying a huge ten ft (3 m) pink statue of a penis, calm down: it is the Kanamara (Iron Phallus) Festival, held at the beginning of April on . You may even find food in the shape of phalluses, such as carved daikon radishes. Not surprisingly, it draws a huge crowd, with the majority clearly foreigners who flock from all corners of the world to gawk and giggle at this unique event. Actually, I see this as an ancient Japanese fertility rite. Famous, Isshoni means "together" in Japanese: share your trip details (dates, places you would like to visit) and find, Have you ever visited Kanamara Matsuri ? Mochi Nage: 16:00. Wakakusayama used to be a volcano. It takes around 45 - 50 minutes from Shinjuku on the JR Yamanote and Keihin Express Lines. With the back-to-school period nearing and the famous cherry trees, Haneda Airport is located in Ota Ward, south of central Tokyo. Been Here? The atmosphere is relaxed and easy-going. The Kanamara Boat Mikoshi contains a phallus made of black iron. )Festival goers with phallus-shaped candies takes photo during the annual Kanamara Matsuri in Kawasaki, Japan on April. The blacksmith inserted the metal penis into her and the demon bit the iron and broke its teeth. After entering the shrine grounds, you will see three statues of erect phalluses prepared as mikoshi (festival floats to be carried through the streets) parked under the blooming cherry trees. Home to the Kanayama Jinja Shrine, Kawasaki, southwest of Tokyo, has been closely tied to the male anatomy for centuries, due to a persistent local . Kanamara Matsuri is a yearly Shinto festival dedicated to fertility, held in Kanayama shrine in Kawasaki, a city located between Tokyo and Yokohama. The celebrations themselves vary widely depending on the occasion, but almost . In the early 1600s, the area surrounding the shrine was a pleasure quarter, a prostitution district. Here's our list for the top 10 festivals in Japan. However, the last few years have seen this unique festival evolve into a controversial festival celebrating sexuality in all forms, without judgment. Hotels in Japan Booking.com To get rid of this curse, the woman sought the help of a blacksmith who crafted a steel phallus with which the demons teeth were broken. The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) each April at Kawasaki's Kanayama shrine is centered around the male and female reproductive organs. The Kanamara Matsuri is held in Kawasaki , which is a short train ride from major Tokyo stations. April 3. While it's a magnet for international travelers seeking Japan's quirkier side, its historical origins are as fascinating as the modern-day spectacle is amusing. There is a thick, short wooden one and its supposedly the oldest of the three. The Kanamara Matsuri (Kanamara Festival) at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki city, just south of Tokyo, displays a much more direct and honest approach to celebrating human sexuality. Kanamara was once popular among prostitutes who wished to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases. Both Hiko and Hime are said to have appeared when Izanami, the primordial goddess, gave birth to the god of fire. 3 Tenjin Matsuri. As a matter of fact, entrance is allowed after a waiting line, another reason to arrive early and avoid wasting time. Select from premium Kanamara Festival Takes Place In Japan of the highest quality. The Kanamara Matsuri ( or Festival of the Steel Phallus) is one of the most unusual festivals in Japan. It was a small festival at the start, but it became bigger and bigger. Image contains graphic content. Kanayama Shrine is close to Kawasaki Daishi Station but the waiting line to enter the shrine is long. By train -- ~10 minutes from Shinagawa (south of Tokyo) or Yokohama, Keikyu Line, stop at Kawasaki Daishi then 2 minutes's walk to the shrine, Free travel with the JR Pass: Order Japan Rail Pass (from ~$208), Get a travel insurance in case of cancellation or accident, Stay connected with a Pocket Wifi in Japan, On the first Sunday of April and during several hours, Procession starts at 11:30 a.m. and goes on until the end of the afternoon, Kanayama-jinja's Official Page (in Japanese). The Elizabeth is a pink shaft donated by a drag club in Asakusabashi, and is a symbol of the festival. The Kanamara Matsuri is centered on the Kanayama Shrine where the god Kanayama-hiko and the goddess Kanayama-hime are venerated. This fertility is also celebrated at the Kanamara Festival Kawasaki. Elizabeth Float Kanamara Festival 2007.JPG 640 480; 198 KB. The 2016 edition of Kanamara Matsuri (Courtesy: Daily Mail) The festival celebrates the death of a sharp-toothed demon who hid inside a woman's vagina and cut the penises off two men on their wedding nights. At about noon, the mikoshi parade sets out from Kanayama Shrine. The most popular items on sale are penis-shaped lollipops in a great variety of colors, some more, some less replicating the actual thing. Current Global rank is 2,476,964, site estimated value 864$ The exact dates vary: the. Even today, all proceeds from the Kanamara Festival are donated to HIV research thanks to this legacy. Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images. Some of the mikoshi holders don fancy disguises, and some visitors come fully dressed in Japanese traditional clothes. Anything goes, except for showing the real thing, of course. There were t-shirts for sale emblazoned with "penis" and some raunchier messages. Find Kanamara Festival Takes Place In Japan stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Made of old stone and boasting a small but pretty network of traditional orange torii gates, the humble penis venerating shrine, built around 698 AD has stood . The Japan Penis Festival is arguably the country's most amusing event when tens of thousands of revellers roam the streets of Kawasaki city in April to pay tribute to fertility in an age-old ritual, amidst thousands of phalluses of all sizes, shapes and colours. There are plenty of stalls and shops to keep you entertained. Kanamara Masuri, taking place every year in April in Kawasaki, is a Japanese spring festival held as a prayer for fertility, smooth marital relationships and business prosperity.. Address. Once a small and unusual festival, Kanamara Matsuri has been popularized through social media, both in Japan and abroad. The music ranges from traditional Japanese to decidedly Western. Open: 9:00. We bring you the itinerary for the popular Japanese penis festival so you don't come too early and have to pull out. 106 Want to Visit? It is held on the first Sunday of April, during Japanese cherry blossoms peak season. The main attractions were the iron penis mikoshis which were carried into the main shrine. Isshoni means "together" in Japanese: share your trip details (dates, places you would like to visit) and find companions to travel in Japan. Then, there is a big black one supposedly made of shiny black iron. Kanamara Festival is a festival held in Kawasaki City every April. When: Annually on March 15th. Kanamara Matsuri Festival 2023 Kanamara Matsuri - The Japanese Fertility Festival started in 1977. Further down this page, discover our visit guide in Kanamara Matsuri and around. Around 30,000 people flock to the event in the . There was no shortage of photo opportunities, as I saw people wearing funny sexual objects on their heads, guys wearing elaborate full-latex outifts, a man wearing a cat costume, an old man carrying a penis and vagina made out of mochi rice, some transsexuals enjoying hanami under the cherry-blossoms, and plenty of people sucking on genitalia lollipops. When I went there in the early nineties, the event was imbued with a certain degree of reverence. 02 April 20231 Day Event The festival is a traditional Shinto celebration dealing with sex strictly symbolically and everybody seems to accept that. Kanayama-jinjas founding originates from an ancient Japanese legend: a demon was in love with a woman and hid in her vagina. A priest sends prayers to the heavens and everyone follows his lead. 2 Chome-13-16 Daishi Ekimae, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken 210-0802. The male steel organ festival, Kanamara Matsuri, is held since 1969 every spring in the Kanayama shrine in the city of Kawasaki in Japan. While in the neighborhood, stop by Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple's expansive precincts. Kawasaki is not San Francisco, however. Thus, the demon was defeated and never showed up again. Kawasaki-Daishi Station is about 15 - 20 minutes from Yokohama Station. Kanamara Festival. We welcome any suggestions regarding this content. During the Festival of the Steel Phallus, known in Japan as Kanamara Matsuri, Japan comes together to welcome the spring and pray for " fertility, smooth martial relationships and business prosperity ." This annual spring celebration takes place at Kanayama Shrine. The beer stalls last a lot longer. Ask any kind of question and share your knowledge about Japan in Kanpais community space, our Q&A section Kotaete. The latest edition was held on the 3rd of April. [1][2][3][4][5] The shrine is part of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine[6] and located near Kawasaki-Daishi Station. Beginning of April: Kanamara Festival [Kawasaki] Credit: Travel Begins at 40. Japan's Kanamara Matsuri as you've never seen it before! Kanayama Shrine. Early April is the height of the cherry blossom season in Japan. The festival features three phallic portable shrines, which are cheerfully carried and a variety of food and goods to match the festivities. A popular folk tale back then tells of a demon that would be secretly hide in the vaginas of local women and bite off the penises of their lovers. The penis is the central theme of the celebration and appears in myriad forms, shapes and sizes. Shinto priests in traditional gear lead the procession, followed by the folks carrying the three penis mikoshi. This article related to a Japanese festival or holiday is a stub. If Kanpai helped you in some way or another, we'd love you to share the website around! Matsuri, festivals in Japan, are often spectacular, filled with color, exuberance, and tradition.Japan has perhaps more unique festivals than any other country in the world, and taking in a matsuri is an unforgettable experience.. A portable shrine in the shape of a penis is paraded around, making this a widely known festival in the world. Twice the extremely jealous demon bit the men who tried to consummate their marriage with the woman. Now a major tourist attraction, the festival was founded in 1969 and raises money for HIV research. Daishi garden next to the temple is an important stop for the mikoshi procession as it takes a break here for lunchtime, before resuming in the middle of the afternoon to come back to the shrine. A few wear fake glasses attached to a rubber penis covering their noses, others have penis-shaped air balloons sticking out of their pants. The center of attention at the festival is the human phallus just as plain and simple as that. No symbolic eggs and bunnies here but the real thing. Mt. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. First Sunday in April, gates at Kanayama Shrine open at about 9 am. Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp, 2-13-16 Daishi Ekimae, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken. It would be a pity if it has become sensationalized by lager-wielding foreign nationals. The Kanamara Matsuri is centered on the Kanayama Shrine where the go Until one lady fell in love with a blacksmith and asked him to forge a steel penis. In a way, it represents the old, true spirit of spring as the season of fertility as it has been worshipped by young couples hoping to conceive healthy children from times immemorial. The, Sengaku-ji is a humble Buddhist templelocated near Shinagawa JR stationin Minato ward, in Tokyo. Japan's Penis Festival Is Very Real and Very NSFW. Masses congregate at the local parks to imbibe . The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. Japanese Penis Festival 2019: Everything you need to know for this year's Kanamara Matsuri. Three mikoshi floats are exhibited in the shrines grounds before the beginning of the procession, and that contributed to the popularity of the "willy festival": The festive atmosphere in Kanayama-jinjas grounds is highlighted by little concerts and worshippers speeches to recall the necessity of producing offsprings to fight Japans current ageing demographics. The following 17 files are in this category, out of 17 total. The Kanamara Matsuri started up several hundred years ago for local sex workers to pray for protection from diseases and for renewal. Spring is a magical time in Japan. They are both gods of blacksmithing, metalsmithing, and metal works, and are also prayed to for easy childbirth, marital harmony, and protection from sexually transmitted infections. Every now and then something very bizarre from Japan pops up in the news. First an industrial city, Kawasaki transformed in a vast residential suburb whose population is constantly growing. 6 Awa Odori Matsuri. Traditionally, sex workers came to the festival to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. 5 Aomori Nebuta Matsuri. Though, the Kanamara Matsuri festival is more than just penis-shaped candies, it's a celebration of diversity and sex-positivity. Kanamara Matsuri - A Unique Festival In Kawasaki. If you have made the Kanamara Festival a go-to on your list, and plan to be around the Kawasaki area, don't miss the Kawasaki Morimori Food Festival the day before the Kanamara Festival. I went a couple of years ago and I am not sure I would really recommend. More recently, during Edo period (1603-1868), the city of Kawasaki was spreading along the Tokaido, the main road connecting Edo the eastern capital (former name of Tokyo) to Kyoto. In a way, that sculpture represents todays festivities which started in their current form in 1977. The demon twice bit off the husband's penis when the . As humble as it might look, thats the one carrying the original meaning of the festivities. With all the strangeness and irony of this, according to the tradition of the local Shinto religion, the masculine penis is the main theme of the festival. Early April in Kawasaki, Japan, is set aside for the Kanamara Matsuri, or the festival of the steel phallus, in which a hundred thousand revelers come here to celebrate one thing: the male organ. In recent days it has become a very popular festival in Japan - especially among foreign tourists: It is very crowded and locals told me that every year more and more people come. Kanamara Festival At the Kanamara Festival, three portable shrines, "Kankiiamara Mikoshi," "Kanayama Boat Mikoshi," and "Elizabeth Mikoshi," are patrolled. There is also a mikoshi (portable shrine) parade of numerous giant phalli around noon. Today, the festival is known as an event that fights against HIV, Also known as the Utamaro Matsuri in reference to Kitagawa Utamaro, an artist who was also famous for his erotic works, The "mara in "Kanamara" originally meant an "obstacle to Buddhist practice" but has become a euphemism for male genitalia. Local ladies of the profession prayed at the shrine to the steel penis in the hope of keeping venereal diseases at bay. Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages, COVID-19: Practical Information for Traveling to Japan, 3. Celebrate fertility with penis-themed goodies at this wild annual festival in Kanagawa. This article relating to Shinto is a stub. Hotels in Tokyo Agoda Getting to Komaki: From Nagoya Station, take the Meitetsu Line to Inuyama Station. Events in Japan: The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri is held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan. There's plenty of themed merchandise available. Keikaku is a travel agency specialist of Japan and providing different kind of services: Kanas are the much-needed basic characters of written Japanese language. Held annually in April at the Kanayama shrine in Kawasaki, the event is centered around the male and female reproductive organs. Certainly a respite after the extremely crowded Kanayama Shrine. The line to enter Kanayama Shrine continues to be long well into the afternoon. Shrine. Kanayama Shrine (Kanayama Jinja / ), Kawasaki. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Kamanara Festival () is held usually held on the first Sunday of April in Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki City.It's known as one of the most unique and bizarre festivals in the world. This time, it happens to be bright pink and carried around. Most foreign visitors refer to this festival as the Festival of the Steel Phallus or simply "The Penis Festival." . Proceeds are donated to fund HIV research. 7 Kanamara Matsuri. I heard about this festival many years ago but was finally able to take some time off work to go this year. This is an actually a traditional Japanese festival, which held at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture every year on the first Sunday of April. They are also in charge of family and procreation: they receive prayers to bless a marriage, for harmonious marital relationships, to have children and a safe delivery. The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri is an annual Japanese festival held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan. Kanamara Matsuri Festival Kawasaki, Japan A rare festival blending religion, blacksmiths, vagina dentata, sex workers, and the straight-up facts of life. It is also said that Kanayama Shrine offers divine protection for businesses, ease of birth, marriage . On the afternoon of April 7, the grounds of Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, just south of Tokyo, were . SoraNews24 Feb 22, 2019; Tweet; . Select from premium Kanamara Festival Takes Place In Japan of the highest quality. Kanamara Matsuri 2007 (phallus festival)-crop.jpg 1,877 1,185; 454 KB. Girls make a great show out of sucking on the lollipops sometimes for the benefit of the many photographers strolling the festival and trying to capture sexually charged images. Kanamara Matsuri means Festival of the Steel Phallus and is becoming more and more popular every year amongst Japanese and foreigners alike, to whom it is more commonly known as the Japan Penis Festival. It's important to remember that while fun, the festival has a sacred side too. See Who's Going to Kanamara Matsuri 2022 in Kawasaki, Japan! Read about Kanamara Matsuri and learn more about Japan's Festival of the Steel Phalus.Since 1978, each Spring, thousands of people gather to celebrate Kanamara. As the story goes, a vicious demon hid inside the vagina of a young woman after falling in love with her. You'll find everything from penis-shaped lollipops to earrings and even some vagina-shaped treats. Anything goes. Kanayama Shrine is dedicated to Kanayamahiko and Kanayamahime, male and female deities who protect the forge. Find the perfect Kanamara Festival Takes Place In Japan stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. While the Kanamara Matsuri is a step apart from ordinary life in Japan, the organizers emphasize that the law still applies. Not surprisingly, it draws a huge crowd, with the majority clearly foreigners who flock from all corners of the world to gawk and giggle at this unique event. In the past, there have been phallic candles in assorted colors, phallic candies, funky hand towels, and a host of toys, knickknacks and accessories. Tagata Shrine Phallic Festival (March 15), Hotels in Tokyo Booking.com What date is The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri 2023? A folk tale deeply rooted in reality. In the shrines grounds, food stalls sell affordable specialty dishes, but also a large array of items shaped as male and female genital organs, including mochi pastries or sugar lollipops. The inclusive story behind Japan's well-respected Kanamara Festival. That one relates back to another origin of the current festival in early Edo Period Japan. The Kanamara Matsuri Festival, also known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus, is celebrated annually on the first Sunday in April, at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, just south of Tokyo. As in every shrine, there is an Ema-den in Kanayama-jinja, a pavilion where worshippers hang ema votive plates on which they have written a wish to the kami. It was hard to move anywhere around the small area without being bumped or shoved. All Rights Reserved. No symbolic eggs and bunnies here but the real thing. Read more about them below: The festival features three phallic portable shrines, which are cheerfully carried and a variety of food and goods to match the festivities. Name. Ancient Buddhist rites are performed within the main temple, the monks chanting wafting through the temple grounds. Kanamara Matsuri is a yearly Shinto festival dedicated to fertility, held in Kanayama shrine in Kawasaki, a city located between Tokyo and Yokohama. There, change trains to the Meitetsu-Komaki line for Komaki station. Its a large open space and the parade participants congregate in one small corner. Kanayama Shrine / Kanamara Festival on twitter (in Japanese), Kawasaki Daishi Temple website (in English). The parade starts around 12pm and moves from Kanayama Shrine along Daishisando before reaching Kawasaki Daishi temple. This festival of penises is celebrated in Japan every year, on the first Sunday of April. It is venerated here as a result of its role . If this event became integrated with the daily life (without these massive mens . The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade. These customs have lasted up to our times and people affected by venereal diseases still came to pray at night in the shrine. Traditionally, the arrival of spring has been associated with fertility in countries north of the tropics leading to a great variety of celebrations of human fertility in the midst of the abundant signs of natural fertility all around. The Kanayama Shrine was originally dedicated to blacksmiths. Kanamara Matsuri's Dormitory Town. While parts of the festivities continue as more or less private parties around the vendor stalls at Kawasaki Daishi Park, many visitors also enter the sprawling grounds of Kawasaki Daishi Temple with its 5-story pagoda, multiple historical sub-temples, and a generous sprinkling of blooming cherry trees. Candy stall Kanamara Festival 2007.JPG 480 640; 176 KB. The journey is about one hour. April is a month of celebration in Japan. Site is running on IP address 104.21.64.240, host name 104.21.64.240 ( United States) ping response time 3ms Excellent ping. Syphilis was the most feared sexually transmitted disease at the time and it heavily afflicted prostitutes and their customers. After the parade returns to Kanayama Shrine, you may want to take a 10-minute walk to Kawasaki-Daishi temple, which is similar to Asakusa. (Directions). Dating back to 1603, the Kanamara festival is a celebration that involves everyone, transvestites, married couples, gays and the elderly; in fact, the Kanamara Matsuri is a crucial event,. For farmers, its the time to go out to sow their fields in the hope of a rich harvest come the autumn. Behind the mikoshi, anybody can join the parade and thousands do. Photo about Kawasaki, Japan. . The penis lollipop stall will close once it sells out. The oldest of the three, the Kanamara Omikoshi, is made of wood. In the West, the Easter holidays are certainly the most prominent celebration of spring with elaborately decorated eggs and the symbolic Easter Bunny, the notoriously multiplying rabbit, at the center of popular Easter folklore. "Dammit, we missed The Festival of the Steel Phallus in Japan this weekend - Cosmopolitan", "Japan's Annual Penis Festival Is As Phallic As You'd Expect (PHOTOS)", "Japanese festival celebrates the penis - Times LIVE", "The World Today Archive - Japan's Festival of the Steel Phallus", "BBC - Travel - Slideshow - Ten events not to miss in April", "Kanamara-Matsuri | World's weirdest festivals", " 2016", "2017 / ", A day at the Kanamara Matsuri in Yamasaki, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kanamara_Matsuri&oldid=1087586550, Short description is different from Wikidata, Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month), Articles containing Japanese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 May 2022, at 10:13. Japan Travel is the leading resource for Japan travel information and the primary destination for visitors planning and traveling to Japan. An ancient legend tells us that a demon with sharp . 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