Fun at the Big Iron Penis Festival
By Chris Carlier
If you're taking a pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll in Kawasaki this spring, and you suddenly happen upon a group of unconvincing transvestites carrying a ten-foot pink penis statue, don't be alarmed: it's just the annual Kanamara (Iron Phallus) festival.
Surely the most hedonistic hi-jinks you'll ever find on a weekend afternoon, it takes place at the Wakamiya Hachimangu shrine, near Kawasaki Daishi station. The jaw-dropping festivities include old folks carving phallic symbols out of daikon, giant wooden members that you can sit astride and hug for good luck, and stands selling willy-shaped lollipops and hot dogs. Live bands and traditional dancing and drumming performances add to the celebratory air, and the event culminates in a parade around town featuring three shlong-shaped portable shrines. This is the sort of demented behavior you'd get into deep trouble for at school, but here, anything goes. I love Japan.
Legend has it that the Kanamara festival was originally held to celebrate the vanquishing of a sharp-fanged female demon with a nasty habit of biting off men's private parts. (Ouch! I think I've met her.) The shrine had been built to honor the gods of iron, and swords were once made there, so a resourceful monk thwarted the dangerous demoness' antics by making a huge penis out of iron, which shattered her teeth. Ha! Take that!
The area also used to be overrun with brothels in the Edo era, so the prostitutes would attend the festival to pray for protection against STDs.
These days the festival raises funds for AIDS charities and attracts a curious mix, including childless couples praying for fertility and a large gay and lesbian crowd (can't quite see why lesbians would worship a penis, but I’ve learned not to ask too many questions). Unsurprisingly, this festival also attracts hordes of foreigners—who almost outnumber the locals—that come to gawp at how crazy the Japanese are.
But be careful: it's easy to take leave of your senses and get caught up in the uninhibited atmosphere. A friend of mine was nonchalantly nibbling on a penis lollipop on the train home, and took a good ten minutes to realize why people were staring at her in shock.
Kanamara Festival
Sunday April 2nd.Proceedings begin at around 10:00 and continue until 16:00 at the Wakamiya Hachimangu shrine.
Access: From Shinagawa, take the Keihin-Kyuko line to Keikyu Kawasaki station, then go down the stairs and take the Daishi Line to Kawasaki Daishi station (the third stop). Go out of the exit and you'll see Wakamiya Hachimangu shrine across the street, to the right.
Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine: (044) 222-3206
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