A group of girls struggling under the weight of a giant pink phallus in broad daylight have attracted a great deal of attention, not least from eager photographers.
The Shinto fertility festival in question is Kawasaki City’s Kanamara Matsuri, which was in fact established in the Edo period to ward off sexually transmitted diseases. Reputedly many sex workers visit in order to assure themselves good fortune in their work.
The shrine itself houses two deities who have come to be known for some particularly obscene mythology – the two god involved, both associated with blacksmithing and mining, were said to have been formed from the vomit of the goddess Izanami as she writhed in her death agony after having her vagina burned by giving birth to the god of fire, Kagu-tsuchi, a wound which proved mortal.
The two gods begat from her vomit, Kanayama and Kanamara, became sex gods due to their naming (“mara” means “penis”) and due to the similarity of the piston-like motion of the furnace bellows to copulating mortals, it is said.
More of the festival, before anyone is further scarred by the bizarre world of Shinto creation myths:
Once again Japan defies rational comprehension by carting giant penis idols through its streets whilst simultaneously insisting any modern depiction of same must be disfigured by mosaics and harried by moralist political groups.
More such festivities in the previous articles.
Worship it ladies. It is your god and master. Please it well and you will get a hot, salty reward.
I heard there was a special guest appearance by DICK Cheney.
Whats going on?!!? ._.;
Did they lack of festivals?
Que Mr. Wongburger
OHAI Equality Now. I thought you’d be in here by now denouncing this very clear depiction of oppressive male practices.
Why aren’t you denouncing Shinto and Kagutsuchi for burning Izanami’s hot and literally flaming vagina? Oh wait, that’s because Mai-HiME might be an easier target and you are now formulating your plans to decry how the Tokiha Mai and the rest of the HiME are portrayed as objects that require men to function.
Protect the CHILDren has taken on an entirely different meaning now.