Kanamara Matsuri
AKA Festival of the Steel Phallus!
This was definitely one of the things on my must see list! There is a very painful-sounding legend behind this festival - something about having to use a steel phallus on a girl because there was a demon hiding inside her. Now it’s just a fertility festival which seems to be more popular among tourists than among the Japanese.
Sakura! This festival took place on the first Sunday in April (April 4th this year) so it was still cherry blossom season!
Everything penis-related was on sale
People posed on these wooden penises. Parents put their daughters on them too but the most disturbing thing was all the men taking pictures of them!
Penis mikoshis
This is supposed to be the steel phallus I think… but I really hope it isn’t o_o
Penis candles
Carving daikon penises
Penis and Vagina lollies - these ones were super detailed - they had like all the detailing of the veins and stuff too!
I bought these cheaper and less detailed lollies - vagina and penis lollies in a set:
Then we headed out of the shrine area to get a good spot to watch the mikoshi parade. After waiting for a while with some delicious manjyus, the parade finally got to us!
This flag whooshed right over our heads!
One of the girls was wearing converses! xD
How could he walk?
Random man in a costume xD This mikoshi was mainly carried by new-halfs (a Japanese term for transvestites)
After the parade, we explored the surrounding area a little before heading home!
At Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple. So beautiful with the cherry blossoms!
Darumas! There were many daruma shops on Nakamise-dori
Selling tontoko-ame - it’s really yum :D
A very interesting festival indeed!
