In the last few years, Japan has become one of the world’s most popular places to visit. However, some events will attract even more people since these tourists want to experience them. This is because Japan is known for having weird, at least weird to us, habits and celebrations. The Kanamara Matsuri festival, or the festival of the Steel Phallus, is a great example of these weird celebrations. It is held on the first Sunday of April, and tourists worldwide come to witness the events with their own eyes. Keep on reading to discover what the festival is all about.
Everything will have the shape of a penis throughout the Festival of the Steel Phallus!
One of the reasons the festival is becoming so popular among tourists is because of the symbol of the festival, which is a giant steel Phallus. For those who don’t know what a phallus is, it is an erect penis. During the festival period, you can find penises and vaginas everywhere such as chains, little statues, treats, and much more. This is why most of the tourists want to experience the festival as it is fun for them. However, there is an actual origin story to the festival.
The origin of the Kanamara Matsuri festival
The festival is held in Kawasaki in Kanagawa, a 40-minute car ride from Tokyo, and is the place where the Kanayama Shrine is located. It used to be a popular place for travelers to get a little pit stop and have a break from traveling. However, resting wasn’t the only thing these travelers could do here. Because of the place’s popularity, multiple brothels were opened where travelers could also find company from prostitutes.
The shrine was made to honor two gods, Kanayamahiko-no-Kami and Kanatamahime-no-Kami, who saved the goddess Izanami No Mikoto after she birthed a fire god and was injured in the process. The two gods healed the injuries, however, these were the gods of mining and blacksmiths.
However, later in time there also was a tale of a woman who had a Demon living in her privates. Because of this, she couldn’t live a normal life as the demon had bit off the penises of multiple partners. Eventually, a blacksmith helped her by making a steel penis on which the demon broke its teeth. One of the gods in the shrine is the god for blacksmiths which explains the icon of a steel phallus!
Prostitutes used to visit the Kanayama Shrine as protection
Since there were a lot of prostitutes working in the area of the shrine, and since it was supposed to help with female fertility, the prostitutes started praying to it as well. However, they prayed to be protected from sexual diseases and other problems with their privates. The festival was created to make sure people could visit the shrine in broad daylight without being judged.
