Foreign Property News | Posted by Aye Myat Thu
The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (かなまら祭り, "Festival of the Steel Phallus") is an annual Japanese festival held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine (金山神社, Kanayama-jinja) in Kawasaki, Japan.
The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade. The shrine is part of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine and located near Kawasaki-Daishi Station.
The Kanamara Matsuri is centered on the Kanayama Shrine where the god Kanayama-hiko and the goddess Kanayama-hime are venerated. 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.
The festival started in 1969. Today, it has become something of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research.
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).
There is also a mikoshi (portable shrine) parade of numerous giant phalli just before noon. Men in drag carry the pink “Elizabeth Mikoshi,” donated by a drag queen club called Elizabeth. Profits raised from the event go to HIV research.
Schedule 2023
The festival isn’t all about the mikoshi parade on April 2. There will be other events happening too. April 1: The shaving of daikon radish into phallic shapes will begin from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
April 1: There will be a Yoimiya Festival (a kind of pre-festival festival) from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
April 2: A small ceremonial burning will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
April 2: Several ceremonies will take place around the mikoshi from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m.
April 2: The moment you’ve all been waiting for, the mikoshi parade will commence from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will feature three types of phallic statues.
April 8–9: The weekend following the festival will have stalls, an exhibition, and photo spots from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(I love this, but why is the penis festival a thing?)
Here’s some backstory. Kanayama Shrine was popular with sex workers from the local tea houses who prayed for protection from sexually transmitted diseases. The gods of mining and blacksmiths, Kanayamahiko and Kanayamahime, respectively, are enshrined in it. This might sound totally unrelated to phalli; however, Japanese legend says that they healed the Shinto goddess Izanami after she gave birth to a fire god. because of this myth, people prayed to these gods regarding matters of STDs, childbirth, etc.
Another story tells of a demon who fell in love with a woman and hid inside her vagina, biting off her newlywed husband’s penis, twice. She then sought help from a blacksmith, who made her a metal phallus. It broke the demon’s teeth and sent him off for good. They later enshrined it in Kanayama Shrine as a sort of commemoration.
(TC Team)
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
Dates
1st Apr–2nd Apr, 2023
ADD TO CALENDAR
Start/End Time- 10:00am – 5:00pm
Name in Japanese- かなまら祭
Venue- Kanayama Shrine
Recommended hotel-
FLEXSTAY INN Kawasaki Ogawacho
Entry- Free
Area- Kawasaki
(Access)
189 m from Kawasaki-Daishi Station
Keikyū Daishi Line (KK23)
373 m from Suzukichō Station
Keikyū Daishi Line (KK22)
0.9 km from Higashi-Monzen Station
Keikyū Daishi Line (KK24)
Ref: Kanamara “Penis” Festival 2023 (tokyocheapo, wikipedia)