Kanamara Matsuri

DISCLAIMER! THIS BLOG ENTRY IS RATED: "R" BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLOGGERS WORLDWIDE!!!! NOTE TO ALL WHO ARE ABOUT TO READ THIS NEXT BLOG ENTRY. THIS IS ABOUT A FESTIVAL THAT I WENT TO IN KAWASAKI THIS PAST SUNDAY, APRIL 2ND. IT CONTAINS SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC PICTURES. IF YOU ARE READING THIS WITH A SMALL CHILD, OR HAVE SOME PROPENSITY AGAINST MALE BODY PARTS, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BLOG ENTRY. YOU MAY SKIP THIS ONE AND READ OTHERS I HAVE POSTED. IF YOU ARE RELIGIOUS AND DO NOT BELIEVE IN VIEWING MALE BODY PARTS, PLEASE SKIP THIS ENTRY AS WELL. OTHERWISE, READ ON!



This festival was by far one of the craziest things I have done here in Tokyo! We went to Kawasaki for the day for the Kanamara Matsuri, which means: The Festival of the Steel Phallus.



Yes, even the kids celebrate this event! As with porn magazines in Europe, if something is made out to be "not a big deal" when you're a kid, then maybe you grow up thinking it's not a big deal? Well, kids were playing all around these penises all day long. It was crazy! I'm not so sure I would take my kids to this!! (well, if and when I have them!)



Getting ready to put on a show.



drawing an audience!



Ahhhh yes, traffic director in drag!!!



oooooo check out those legs!!!



Here is the steel phallus!



These were a favorite among the crowd. My friend Joe refused to go with us to this thinking that this would make him look gay somehow. But it was not that way at all! There were more straight men at this event than any other type of person!



Through the gate and to the streets of Kawasaki!





When the drag queens carried the pink one through the gates, they shook it up and down to invoke a certain festive spirit!





Goodbye!



I had a great place for the parade! I was right in front!



This black penis is the most revered. (no jokes, please)




Let the parade begin!




You could get on this wooden one and pose for pictures. It was called a "ride."



Here is the demon that lived in the woman's vagina.



This was my favorite picture. Where else would you ever see such a vendor?



We drank tequila and coke all day!



Even the wood blessings that the priest burned for a small fee had a penis on it to commemorate the event.



At Buddhist temples, you see Buddha statues all over. At a shinto shrine, there are red gates as pictured here.




Equal opportunity offenders. These are made from rice.



This was found inside the shrine. You can pray to these statues for good luck and reproductive health.





Music at the event.

This penis stays up year round!

This event drew a crowd of around 1000 people. Mostly foreigners.




The priestess who conducted the ceremony was female.

2 Megans and a Roxanne from class.