Kanamara Matsuri

The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (かなまら祭り, "Festival of the Steel Phallus") is 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.[1][2][3][4][5]

Kanamara Matsuri
Observed byKanayama shrine, Kawasaki, Japan
TypeReligious
DateFirst Sunday in April
2020 dateApril 5  (2020-04-05)
2021 dateApril 4  (2021-04-04)
2022 dateApril 3  (2022-04-03)
2023 dateApril 2  (2023-04-02)
Frequencyannual

The Kanamara Matsuri is centered on a local penis-venerating shrine. The legend is that a jealous sharp-toothed demon hid inside the vagina of a young woman whom the demon fell in love with and bit off penises of two young men on their wedding nights.[6] After that the woman sought help from a blacksmith, who fashioned an iron phallus to break the demon's teeth, which led to the enshrinement of the item.[7] This legend in Ainu language was published as "The Island of Women" by Basil Hall Chamberlain[8]

The Kanayama Shrine was popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted infections.[9]

It is also said the shrine offers protection for easy delivery, marriage, and married-couple harmony.

The festival started in 1969.[10] Today, the festival has become something of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research.[11]

Mikoshi

At the Kanamara Festival, three portable shrines, "Kanamara Mikoshi," "Kanayama Boat Mikoshi," and "Elizabeth Mikoshi," are patrolled.

Kanamara Mikoshi
A portable shrine with a square base and a roof. A wooden phallus is housed inside. The oldest of the three portable shrines.
Kanamara Boat Mikoshi
A portable shrine with a boat-shaped base and a roof. Inside, a glowing black iron phallus is housed upwards. It was donated by Hitachi Zosen.
Elizabeth Mikoshi
A portable shrine with a huge pink dildo on the base. There is no roof. This portable shrine was donated by the crossdressing club (女装クラブ) "Elizabeth Kaikan " in Asakusabashi. The other two portable shrines are mainly carried by local parishioners, while the bearers are mainly women dressed as Elizabeth Hall, and they are patrolling with a unique shout of "Kanamara! However, in 2016, due to factors such as the aging of the bearers, it became a form of cruising on a trolley without being carried.[12] In 2017, the cruising on the road was revived,[13]  but it was a one-way trip to Daishi Park, and after being covered with a white cloth in the park, it was pushed back to the shrine.
  • Kanayama Shrine
  • Kanamara mikoshi
  • Kanamara mikoshi
  • Penis (and vulva) candy

See also

References
  1. "Dammit, we missed The Festival of the Steel Phallus in Japan this weekend - Cosmopolitan". cosmopolitan.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  2. Dominique Mosbergen. "Japan's Annual Penis Festival Is As Phallic As You'd Expect (PHOTOS)". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  3. Times LIVE. "Japanese festival celebrates the penis - Times LIVE". timeslive.co.za. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  4. "The World Today Archive - Japan's Festival of the Steel Phallus". abc.net.au. 2001-04-02. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  5. "BBC - Travel - Slideshow - Ten events not to miss in April". Archived from the original on 2014-03-31. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  6. "Kanamara Matsuri 2014: What You Should Know About Japan's Penis Festival (NSFW PHOTOS)". huffingtonpost.ca. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  7. "Metropolis - Japan Travel: Kawasaki - Heads up". Archived from the original on 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  8. Chamberlain, B. H. "The Island of Women" Aino Folk-Tales, 1888. pp. vii, 37.
  9. "Kanamara Matsuri: When Does Japan's Penis Festival Start? (NSFW PHOTOS)". huffingtonpost.ca. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  10. 世界も驚くニッポン旅行100: テーマでめぐる!47都道府県ローカル旅 PHP研究所, Jul 4, 2013
  11. "Kanamara-Matsuri | World's weirdest festivals". Herald Sun.
  12. 黒木貴啓 (2016-04-07). "客の露出行為で男根型モニュメントを自粛した奇祭「かなまら祭」　2016年度の改善に見る、神事存続への想い". ねとらぼ. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  13. 和才雄一郎 (2017-04-02). "【かなまら祭り2017レポート】今年の「男根みこし」は上下左右ムーブあり！ 昨年より壮観さがアップして大盛況 / 動画＆画像あり". ROCKET NEWS 24. Retrieved 2020-02-28.


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