Last weekend I went to a Japanese festival for the first time in a while, the Kanamara Matsuri. Also known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus. Also also known, more colloquially, as "The Penis Festival."
The Kanamara Matsuri is held annually on the first Sunday of April. I actually almost went last year, but Easter was the same day so I elected to go to church at an Episcopal church here in Tokyo, Saint Alban's, instead. This year, with Easter falling so late in the month, there was no such conflict and so together with Troy, who had gone last year, I headed down to Kawasaki to see what was...up...
But before I really dig into the festival itself, I think some context is necessary. The Kanamara Matsuri tends to be lumped into the "wow look at Japan, it's so weird!" mindset. A quick Google search for "Kanamara festival" brings up articles titled "Kanamara Penis Festival Exposed" (some YouTube channel called Only in Japan) or "There's a Festival Dedicated to Penises and it's as Nuts as You Think" (Buzzfeed) etcetc. But the festival, which is located on the grounds of the small Kanayama Shrine, actually has a long and somewhat serious history.
There are several legends behind the origin of the festival.
One states that the Shinto goddess, Izanami no Mikoto, suffered extreme burns when giving birth to a fire god, and the gods enshrined at the Kanayama Shrine healed her injuries. Another states that a woman had a jealous demon living in her vagina who would bite off the penises of husbands. She went to a blacksmith who forged a steel phallus for her, and when the demon attempted to bite it off it broke its teeth instead.
More realistically, Kawasaki, as one of the stops on Japan's ancient Tokaido highway (a major road that connected Edo/Tokyo to Kyoto), would have had its fair share of tea houses and brothels catering to travelers. Prostitutes would visit Kanayama Shrine to pray for protection from STDs/STIs, fertility, and prosperity.
The current iteration of the festival started in 1969, so this year was its 50th anniversary. In recent years it has become a fairly big tourist draw, bringing in around 50,000 spectators, many, if not most, of whom are non-Japanese. Occasionally a lot of the crowd had an overly rowdy, drunk-at-10-in-the-morning, out-with-the-bros vibe, which I didn't completely dig, but proceeds all go to HIV/AIDS charities so if people are spending money on food, drink, and ri-DICK-ulous items, who am I to criticize?
But hahaha, OK. On to the content of the festival itself.
By the time we got to Kawasaki around 9:30 a.m., there was a massive line stretching around several city blocks to even get into the grounds of the shrine. So after waiting in line for more than a little bit we were eventually shuffled into the main shrine compound where people were milling about buying phallic-shaped foods (think jumbo sausages or hotdogs on a stick if not straight-up bright pink, penis-shaped lollipops) or day-drinking.
Part of the area was cordoned off where the three festival mikoshi (portable shrines) were stationed in advance of the Kanamara Matsuri's main parade. Somehow or another we got fairly good spots close to the front row and were able to get a great view of the start of the parade.
Part of the parade also involved a guy in a tengu mask (a figure from Japanese mythology somewhere between a kami/god and yokai/demon that often has avian features) for reasons unknown to me.
Then all the participants carrying the first mikoshi, which has a large black penis effigy, got into position under the wooden supports and with a big heave they hoisted the shrine into the air. (Having helped carry a mikoshi before myself, I can attest to how unbelievably heavy they are. Being of comparable heights and stepping in tandem is key.)
When it's at shoulder height, however, the mikoshi is too tall to fit under the sacred shimenawa (hemp rope), so everyone had to do a really exaggerated crouch to get it out onto the street.
After this first black mikoshi comes what's known as the Elizabeth mikoshi. It was originally donated by the Elizabeth Kaidan drag club, and the people who carry it have to dress in drag themselves. The Kanamara Matsuri has historically been an unusually LGBT-friendly event, and for many years this was a rare occasion for people to express themselves.
In fact, before the parade started, one of the organizers announced over the PA system "men, women, other, foreigners...we are all grateful for your birth," which I felt to be a surprising and welcoming message.
The final mikoshi, which has a wooden penis effigy, is also the oldest (if perhaps the least visually appealing).
The mikoshi were followed by an elegant couple, which I assume is supposed to be the woman and husband from the origin story, but don't quote me on that.
And then there was nothing to do, really, but lurk and look at all the people in their penis (or sometimes vulva/vagina) paraphernalia. The lines to get ANY of this stuff were super long, so I didn't bother.
Not that I have any particular interest in James May, but I guess I'll have to track that episode in particular down to see WHY he was there in the first place (and if Troy and I are in any background shots?!).
Anyways. The festival was a very interesting visual spectacle, but way, way too crowded to enjoy any of the activities properly. Not sure I would ever go again, but glad to say I have seen it. Plus, with Japan's increasing fertility woes, maybe it's high time festivals like this had some popular resurgence...
The Kanamara Matsuri is held annually on the first Sunday of April. I actually almost went last year, but Easter was the same day so I elected to go to church at an Episcopal church here in Tokyo, Saint Alban's, instead. This year, with Easter falling so late in the month, there was no such conflict and so together with Troy, who had gone last year, I headed down to Kawasaki to see what was...up...
But before I really dig into the festival itself, I think some context is necessary. The Kanamara Matsuri tends to be lumped into the "wow look at Japan, it's so weird!" mindset. A quick Google search for "Kanamara festival" brings up articles titled "Kanamara Penis Festival Exposed" (some YouTube channel called Only in Japan) or "There's a Festival Dedicated to Penises and it's as Nuts as You Think" (Buzzfeed) etcetc. But the festival, which is located on the grounds of the small Kanayama Shrine, actually has a long and somewhat serious history.
There are several legends behind the origin of the festival.
One states that the Shinto goddess, Izanami no Mikoto, suffered extreme burns when giving birth to a fire god, and the gods enshrined at the Kanayama Shrine healed her injuries. Another states that a woman had a jealous demon living in her vagina who would bite off the penises of husbands. She went to a blacksmith who forged a steel phallus for her, and when the demon attempted to bite it off it broke its teeth instead.
More realistically, Kawasaki, as one of the stops on Japan's ancient Tokaido highway (a major road that connected Edo/Tokyo to Kyoto), would have had its fair share of tea houses and brothels catering to travelers. Prostitutes would visit Kanayama Shrine to pray for protection from STDs/STIs, fertility, and prosperity.
The current iteration of the festival started in 1969, so this year was its 50th anniversary. In recent years it has become a fairly big tourist draw, bringing in around 50,000 spectators, many, if not most, of whom are non-Japanese. Occasionally a lot of the crowd had an overly rowdy, drunk-at-10-in-the-morning, out-with-the-bros vibe, which I didn't completely dig, but proceeds all go to HIV/AIDS charities so if people are spending money on food, drink, and ri-DICK-ulous items, who am I to criticize?
But hahaha, OK. On to the content of the festival itself.
By the time we got to Kawasaki around 9:30 a.m., there was a massive line stretching around several city blocks to even get into the grounds of the shrine. So after waiting in line for more than a little bit we were eventually shuffled into the main shrine compound where people were milling about buying phallic-shaped foods (think jumbo sausages or hotdogs on a stick if not straight-up bright pink, penis-shaped lollipops) or day-drinking.
Part of the area was cordoned off where the three festival mikoshi (portable shrines) were stationed in advance of the Kanamara Matsuri's main parade. Somehow or another we got fairly good spots close to the front row and were able to get a great view of the start of the parade.
 |
| Although it was my camera, many photos that actually get above the crowd like this were taken by Troy. #verticallychallenged |
Before the festival kicked off, the shrine priest blessed the mikoshi.
Part of the parade also involved a guy in a tengu mask (a figure from Japanese mythology somewhere between a kami/god and yokai/demon that often has avian features) for reasons unknown to me.
Then all the participants carrying the first mikoshi, which has a large black penis effigy, got into position under the wooden supports and with a big heave they hoisted the shrine into the air. (Having helped carry a mikoshi before myself, I can attest to how unbelievably heavy they are. Being of comparable heights and stepping in tandem is key.)
When it's at shoulder height, however, the mikoshi is too tall to fit under the sacred shimenawa (hemp rope), so everyone had to do a really exaggerated crouch to get it out onto the street.
After this first black mikoshi comes what's known as the Elizabeth mikoshi. It was originally donated by the Elizabeth Kaidan drag club, and the people who carry it have to dress in drag themselves. The Kanamara Matsuri has historically been an unusually LGBT-friendly event, and for many years this was a rare occasion for people to express themselves.
In fact, before the parade started, one of the organizers announced over the PA system "men, women, other, foreigners...we are all grateful for your birth," which I felt to be a surprising and welcoming message.
The final mikoshi, which has a wooden penis effigy, is also the oldest (if perhaps the least visually appealing).
The mikoshi were followed by an elegant couple, which I assume is supposed to be the woman and husband from the origin story, but don't quote me on that.
And then there was nothing to do, really, but lurk and look at all the people in their penis (or sometimes vulva/vagina) paraphernalia. The lines to get ANY of this stuff were super long, so I didn't bother.
 |
| This woman said her hat was handmade for the occasion. |
There was one more interesting addition to this year's festivities: another celebrity sighting!
Turns out British journalist James May, of Top Gear and The Grand Tour fame, was filming a show called "Our Man In...Japan" for Amazon Prime. So he, ah, was right at the front of the group carrying the black penis.
Anyways. The festival was a very interesting visual spectacle, but way, way too crowded to enjoy any of the activities properly. Not sure I would ever go again, but glad to say I have seen it. Plus, with Japan's increasing fertility woes, maybe it's high time festivals like this had some popular resurgence...
Comments
Post a Comment