Ancient Buddhist rites are performed within the main temple, the monks chanting wafting through the temple grounds. 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? Masses congregate at the local parks to imbibe . Japan's Penis Festival Is Very Real and Very NSFW. Further down this page, discover our visit guide in Kanamara Matsuri and around. This time, it happens to be bright pink and carried around. The boisterous procession of sacred phalluses, Quirky and unique phallus-themed merchandise and food. 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. Category. 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. Kanamara Matsuri 2007 (phallus festival)-crop.jpg 1,877 1,185; 454 KB. Candy stall Kanamara Festival 2007.JPG 480 640; 176 KB. 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. 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. There's plenty of themed merchandise available. The Elizabeth is a pink shaft donated by a drag club in Asakusabashi, and is a symbol of the festival. Perhaps this festival is a relief for Japanese people. The center of attention at the festival is the human phallus just as plain and simple as that. 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. 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. https://en.japantravel.com/kanagawa/kanamara-penis-festival/1318, "Elizabeth", the pink penis, parades along Daishisando (Photo: Ignatius Koh). The iconic pink penis, named Elizabeth, was donated by a drag queen club called Elizabeth. Kanamara Matsuri is a one-of-a-kind festival held annually on the first Sunday of April at Kawasaki's Kanayama Shrine. The male steel organ festival, Kanamara Matsuri, is held since 1969 every spring in the Kanayama shrine in the city of Kawasaki in Japan. The festival centers around penises, which appear everywhere, as candy, on hats, and on clothing. When: Annually on March 15th. [6][7], The festival started in 1969. I heard about this festival many years ago but was finally able to take some time off work to go this year. Most foreign visitors refer to this festival as the Festival of the Steel Phallus or simply "The Penis Festival." At the Kanamara Festival, three portable shrines, "Kankiiamara Mikoshi," "Kanayama Boat Mikoshi," and "Elizabeth Mikoshi," are patrolled. What date is The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri 2023? Certainly a respite after the extremely crowded Kanayama Shrine. Date: 5th April, 2022. When I went there in the early nineties, the event was imbued with a certain degree of reverence. Kanamara Matsuri is a yearly Shinto festival dedicated to fertility, held in Kanayama shrine in Kawasaki, a city located between Tokyo and Yokohama. The Kanamara Boat Mikoshi contains a phallus made of black iron. An ancient legend tells us that a demon with sharp . Ask any kind of question and share your knowledge about Japan in Kanpais community space, our Q&A section Kotaete. It is named Elisabeth and arrived as a gift from a group of Tokyo Asakusa drag queens. This article relating to Shinto is a stub. Over time the shrine also because popular with sex workers who visited to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Parade: 14:00. Tagata Shrine Phallic Festival (March 15), Hotels in Tokyo Booking.com Copyright Japan National Tourism Organization. It was hard to move anywhere around the small area without being bumped or shoved. The beautiful Kawasaki Daishi temple also has its usual quietness disrupted. 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. 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. Find the perfect Kanamara Festival Takes Place In Japan stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. 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. Its origins can be traced back to an ancient Japanese legend. Kanamara Matsuri Festivities (2007), by Saya M., CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. 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 . This fertility is also celebrated at the Kanamara Festival Kawasaki. That one relates back to another origin of the current festival in early Edo Period Japan. Share your opinion, More convenient than its alter ego Narita, Party atmosphere in Kawasakis historical district. 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. While there are rarely problems, security guards are on-hand to deal with lewdness, harassment, and other serious buzzkills. The main attractions were the iron penis mikoshis which were carried into the main shrine. Kanamara Festival is a festival held in Kawasaki City every April. Kanayama Shrine / Kanamara Festival on twitter (in Japanese), Kawasaki Daishi Temple website (in English). 2 Chome-13-16 Daishi Ekimae, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken 210-0802. 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. You'll find everything from penis-shaped lollipops to earrings and even some vagina-shaped treats. 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. With the back-to-school period nearing and the famous cherry trees, Haneda Airport is located in Ota Ward, south of central Tokyo. 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,. Getting to Komaki: From Nagoya Station, take the Meitetsu Line to Inuyama Station. 4 Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival. The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade. 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 exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. Shinto priests in traditional gear lead the procession, followed by the folks carrying the three penis mikoshi. Mochi Nage: 16:00. 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 Kanamara Matsuri () also known as " Festival of the Steel Phallus " is a traditional Shinto festival. The journey is about one hour. Media in category "Kanamara Festival". First Sunday in April, gates at Kanayama Shrine open at about 9 am. Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages, COVID-19: Practical Information for Traveling to Japan, 3. We welcome any suggestions regarding this content. The inclusive story behind Japan's well-respected Kanamara Festival. The Kanamara Matsuri is held in Kawasaki , which is a short train ride from major Tokyo stations. Overall, it was a fun, interesting festival. The penis lollipop stall will close once it sells out. It takes around 45 - 50 minutes from Shinjuku on the JR Yamanote and Keihin Express Lines. 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 ." After the end of the parade, concerts are staged at the shrine. Image contains graphic content. The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade. Author's photo at Kanamara Matsuri. 2-13-16 Daishi Ekimae, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture 210-0802, Japan. April 3. It's important to remember that while fun, the festival has a sacred side too. There are plenty of stalls and shops to keep you entertained. The Kanamara Matsuri is centered on the Kanayama Shrine where the god Kanayama-hiko and the goddess Kanayama-hime are venerated. 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 . 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. 106 Want to Visit? 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. Here's our list for the top 10 festivals in Japan. The Kanamara Festival always takes place on the first Sunday in April. 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. [8] Today, it has become something of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research.[9]. All Rights Reserved. If this event became integrated with the daily life (without these massive mens . Johannes Schonherr: a guide to the Kanayama Festival Kawasaki. In the past, there have been phallic candles in assorted colors, phallic candies, funky hand towels, and a host of toys, knickknacks and accessories. Twice the extremely jealous demon bit the men who tried to consummate their marriage with the woman. As the story goes, a vicious demon hid inside the vagina of a young woman after falling in love with her. The parade starts around 12pm and moves from Kanayama Shrine along Daishisando before reaching Kawasaki Daishi temple. Kanamara was once popular among prostitutes who wished to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases. 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. In early April, Kawasaki city burst with visitors thanks to its lively and unique . Kanamara Festival Ikegami Honmonji Temple Oeshiki Ceremony. First an industrial city, Kawasaki transformed in a vast residential suburb whose population is constantly growing. A popular attraction offers to carve big white daikon radishes into an explicit shape. Site is running on IP address 104.21.64.240, host name 104.21.64.240 ( United States) ping response time 3ms Excellent ping. The shrine is part of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine and located near Kawasaki-Daishi Station. Japanese Penis Festival 2019: Everything you need to know for this year's Kanamara Matsuri. Memorize them at a fast pace with our method. There, change trains to the Meitetsu-Komaki line for Komaki station. The Kawasaki Kanamara Festival on the first Sunday of April is one of the most crowded spring festivals in Japan. Oh name of this portable shrine is . This article related to a Japanese festival or holiday is a stub. Kanamara's role as a patron of the smiths grew to include workers in the sex industry when . Hotels in Tokyo Agoda The line to enter Kanayama Shrine continues to be long well into the afternoon. 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. Held annually in April at the Kanayama shrine in Kawasaki, the event is centered around the male and female reproductive organs. The Kanayama Shrine was originally dedicated to blacksmiths. 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. 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 latest edition was held on the 3rd of April. Even today, all proceeds from the Kanamara Festival are donated to HIV research thanks to this legacy. 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 music ranges from traditional Japanese to decidedly Western. Around 30,000 people flock to the event in the . 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. It is venerated here as a result of its role . Despite the crowd, the matsuri unfolds without excesses. 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. Shrine. Behind the mikoshi, anybody can join the parade and thousands do. 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. 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. Find Kanamara Festival Takes Place In Japan stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Its a large open space and the parade participants congregate in one small corner. Kawasaki is a city of Kanagawa prefecture, located in Tama River's mouth, between Tokyo and Yokohama. 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. 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 . 1. A portable shrine in the shape of a penis is paraded around, making this a widely known festival in the world. Anything goes, except for showing the real thing, of course. The highlight of the festival is the trio of outlandish erect phalluses carried on portable shrines. Some of the mikoshi holders don fancy disguises, and some visitors come fully dressed in Japanese traditional clothes. As a matter of fact, entrance is allowed after a waiting line, another reason to arrive early and avoid wasting time. I went a couple of years ago and I am not sure I would really recommend. 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. . 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. Kanayama Shrine is close to Kawasaki Daishi Station but the waiting line to enter the shrine is long. . Today, the festival is extremely popular among tourists and is used to raise money for HIV research. Hotels in Yokohama Agoda No symbolic eggs and bunnies here but the real thing. 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. 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.