Kanamara Matsuri

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Coordinates: 35°32′04.35″N 139°43′28.67″E / 35.5345417°N 139.7246306°E / 35.5345417; 139.7246306

Kanamara Matsuri
Kanamara-matsuri2014.jpg
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 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.[1][2][3][4][5] The shrine is part of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine[6] 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.[6][7]

The festival started in 1969.[8] Today, it has become something of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research.[9]

Mikoshi[]

At the Kanamara Festival, three portable shrines, "Kankiiamara 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!" In 2016 this shrine switched to being displayed on a wheeled trolley.[10] In 2017, the cruising on the road was revived,[11]  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.

Gallery[]

  • 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. ^ Jump up to: a b "神奈川県神社庁／神社検索／若宮八幡宮". www.kanagawa-jinja.or.jp. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  7. ^ "金山神社". jinjajin.jp. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ "Kanamara-Matsuri | World's weirdest festivals". Herald Sun.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.

External links[]


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