I’ve been fortunate to live in Japan for 27 years, and during my time here, I’ve traveled around extensively, visiting different regions and getting to know the country from Hokkaido to Hiroshima. But there are plenty of places and events I’ve yet to experience. I’ve never been to a sumo tournament, or visited the “monkey hot springs” in Nagano, or seen a baseball game at Koshien Stadium in Osaka. And I’d never been to the Kanamara Matsuri, or Festival of the Steel Phallus, in Kawasaki, until now. But today I went to Japan’s Penis Festival, so you don’t have to.
The festival is held at Kanayama Shrine, a pleasant Shinto shrine near Kawasaki Daishi, one of the most famous Buddhist temples in the Tokyo area. I arrived at the area and was shocked to see the huge lines of visitors, 70% or so foreign tourists, some of whom were drinking and rather rowdy. I eventually got into the shrine area, which is where you can buy all those penis-shaped lollipops you may have seen on the Internet. On the shrine’s grounds there are two places where you can make money offerings to the kami and ask for whatever you’re seeking, whether it’s better erections or to conceive a child, or whatever.
Despite being famous as Japan’s “penis festival,” the Kanamara Festival really an event dedicated to fertility, sex positivity, and awareness of sexually transmitted diseases. While most people are giddily celebrating the phallic aspect of the festival, I was interested to read the messages on the ema “wish boards” in which visitors had written their fervent prayers wishes to become pregnant. Many of the wishes were also general prayers for good luck and happiness for the writer’s family.
If you plan to visit, be sure and check ahead for the date and other information, and get there as early as possible. Because the horrific lines are only going to get longer as the event gains infamy on the Internet, it’s highly recommended that you arrive early. I wouldn’t be surprised if some fans are already spending the night in line to make sure they can get in without delays.
