Kanamara Matsuri
Penis Festival
Ever been to a party with a ton of dudes and no girls to be found? The definition: sausage party. The Japanese of course take this to a whole other level. I went Kawasaki Daishi to attend the Kanamara Matsuri. A parade through the streets, standard festival foods like yakisoba and yakitori but of course with a twist. They worship the penis. Actually not really, it's fertility festival. But the penis shrines, penis floats, wooden penis', marble penis statues, and penis lollipops would make you think different if you didn't know anything about it. They even had Viagra for sale! What compels seemingly normal people to put on a penis hat, ride a penis log, or lug a penis shrine around is beyond me. But it sure as hell was interesting to watch!
I heard if you went early, you could register to help carry the portable shrine in the parade. They'd lend you a traditional yukata to wear and give you a free penis omamori too. Things I noticed: The penis candy ran out quickly. By the end of the day, there were only the expensive handmade penis and vagina lollipops for sale. There were so many foreigners there. I'd say that they made up almost half the people that were there. Probably that must have influenced the vendors to even offer rootbeer! That's something hard to find in Japan let alone at a festival. All in all a good and interesting time!
rick
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Reader Comments (11)
So did you buy one of those penis lollies? ;)
There's a toilet shrine in Izu that sells those penis and vagina lollipops all year round.
Westerners have more of a hang up with sex and phallic symbols etc so these things have more of a perverse fascination while with Japanese they don't make as much of a commotion about it.
Keiki: There were some vagina's here and there. but you're right, no giant one's being paraded around.
J: Yup handmaid. I doubt if that spelling was intentional though. When I took that picture of the maids, soon after there was this mad rush of people crowding around and pushing to get a good photo. It felt so creepy, I had to get outta there. I felt like I was surrounded by sukebe oyaji everywhere!
You missed the penis candy! Awww! I can get that year-round on my side. There's a place called Condom Kingdom and another called Moods on the same street with all sorts of fun goodies. ;]
Two old ladies were outside their nursing home, having a smoke when it started to rain. One of the ladies pulled out a condom, cut off the end, put it over her cigarette and continued smoking.
Lady 1: What's that?
Lady 2: A condom. This way my cigarette doesn't get wet.
Lady 1: Where did you get it?
Lady 2: You can get them at any drugstore.
The next day ... Lady 1 hobbles herself into the local drugstore and announces to the pharmacist that she wants a box of condoms. The guy looks at her kind of strangely (she is, after all, over 80 years of age), but politely asks what brand she prefers.
Lady 1: It doesn't matter as long as it fits a Camel.
p.s.
find cheap cigarettes.