Japanese Penis Festival Photos

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Penis Festival

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The bizarre annual Kanamara (Big Metal Phallus) festival was held last sunday in Kawasaki, Japan, at the Wakamiya Hachimangu shrine.

"The jaw-dropping festivities included old folk carving phallic
symbols out of daikon (a large Japanese radish), giant wooden penis models that you could sit astride
and hug for good luck, and stands selling phallic pink lollipops.

Live bands and traditional dancing and drumming performances
add to the celebratory air, and the event culminates in a parade around
town featuring three penis-shaped portable shrines.

The
Kanamara festival was originally held to celebrate the vanquishing of a
sharp-fanged female demon who would bite off men's genitals. 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.

During the Edo era, the area also used to be a popular venue for brothels, 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 crowd. Lots of Westerners who come to laugh at the crazy Japanese, were disappointed to discover that the curious Westerners outnumbered the locals."