 Most viewed - Tagata Shrine Honen Festival 田縣神社 豊年祭 |
The bottom of the woman figurine. Naughty, naughty...3770 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises.3683 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival3359 views
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Sake flask2567 views
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Lollipops2384 views
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The phallus is a symbol for themes of fertility.2262 views
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Nose job2102 viewsI didn't see this among the souvenirs being sold. Wonder where he got it.
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2086 views
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2007 views
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The second portable shrine and main attraction. It is 2.5 meters (13 feet) long, 60 cm diameter, and weighs about 300 kg. It takes 10 days to carve it from a cypress log.1976 views
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1944 views
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Procession maidens pose with the giant penis. The giant phallus was then partially hidden by the portable shrine as it is today. But this made the phallus become larger to 2.5 meters, as if to compensate for this partial shielding.1803 views
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Senbei crackers1696 views
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1629 views
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Demure-looking woman figurine looks deceiving until you look at the bottom...1607 views
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1590 views
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Maiden poses with the giant penis. In the past, the phallus was attached to a straw effigy of a warrior, but it was deemed too raunchy and discontinued.1579 views
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People line up to rub the sacred balls. Penis rock in the foreground.1576 views
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Banner with ukiyoe shunga-style painting of a penis.1445 views
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It might look light brown here, but it looks more pinkish. It is carved in winter from a hinoki cypress tree by a master artisan wearing ceremonially-purified clothing and using traditional tools.1398 views
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Palanquin maidens.1358 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the penis procession. Tagata Shrine Honen Matsuri1314 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests.1269 views
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Gozensai prayer ceremony before the start of the procession.1239 views
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Sacred Balls. Put in money and rub the left and right ball for family safety, business prosperity, safe childbirth, etc. 珍宝窟1206 views
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Way to Tagata Shrine from Tagata Jinja-mae Station. Shrine famous for numerous phallic objects used as offerings to the gods. The 1500-year-old shrine worships a deity called Tamahime-no-Mikoto who was a daughter of a powerful local lord from the 5th c.1198 viewsThe Honen-sai or Honen (Hounen) Matsuri is held by Tagata Jinja on March 15 to pray for an abundant harvest. "Honen" literally means "Year of abudant harvest." Since a giant penis is used as an offering, it is popularly called the "penis festival."
The shrine is near Tagata Jinja-mae Station on the Meitetsu Railways' Komaki Line. From Shin-Nagoya Station or Shin-Gifu Station, go to Inuyama Station and transfer to the Komaki Line.
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1169 views
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Pregnant women also attend the festival. As well as mothers with a young baby coming to give thanks.1169 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the procession.1150 views
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The usual penis souvenirs on sale.1054 views
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Many foreigners also join in the fun. The giant phallus was originally about 1 meter long and paraded by itself by 4-5 people with no portable shrine shelter.1050 views
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Various entertainment is staged within Tagata Shrine up until the procession starts at 2 pm.1032 views
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Breaking the sake barrel1023 views
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Another mikoshi with a wooden penis. For a good harvest.1015 views
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The giant phallus is called "O-owasegata." It is an offering, and not a deity nor object of worship. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival. A total of 60 men take turns carrying the giant phallus portable shrine. 大男茎形997 views
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Lots of people pose with the giant penis. Amid hordes of amateur photographers993 views
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Front view. A new giant, wooden phallus is carved every year since newly-made objects are considered to have more purity and vitality.992 views
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The short prayer ceremony ends.990 views
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Women spectators touch the penis for good fortune and to become fertile perhaps?972 views
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Also see the video at YouTube. Honen-sai Festival, Tagata Shrine Honen Festival.965 views
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937 views
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Conch shell932 views
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Inside Kumano Shrine. Notice the wooden penises on lower left.927 views
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Sake914 views
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Festival spectators come by the busload, including people from US military bases such as Yokota.906 views
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Torii gate to Kumano-sha Shrine.853 views
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Mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers gather in front of Kumano Shrine.838 views
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Ema votive tablet with giant penis portable shrine. 500 yen.838 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.837 views
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Kumano-sha Shrine, the starting point of the procession or "Penis Parade." 熊野社832 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto who was a local prince married to Tamahime which Tagata Shrine worships.804 views
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The second mikoshi features the giant penis carried by 12 men at a time, all of whom are age 42, considered to be an unlucky age (yakudoshi) for men. They seek protection by carrying the phallus.790 views
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Schedule of events and procession route. In odd-numbered years (like 2007), the procession starts from nearby Kumano-sha Shrine. In even-numbered years, the procession starts from Shinmei-sha Shrine.786 views
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Sake flows freely.785 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto768 views
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Entering Tagata Shrine, dedicated to Tamahime-no-Mikoto (daughter of a local feudal lord) and Mitoshi-no-Kami (deity of harvests).746 views
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People waiting for the procession along the shrine steps. (Not a good place to watch the procession.)686 views
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Maidens who are 36 years old, carry wooden penises for protection during their "unlucky age" (yakudoshi).681 views
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The giant phallus by itself weighs about 280 kg (620 lbs.). The total weight of both the phallus and portable shrine housing is 400 kg (885 lbs.).673 views
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Men in happi coats which read "Honen Matsuri." Honen literally means "year of abundant harvest."654 views
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The procession is ready to start from Kumano Shrine.633 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.633 views
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Now comes the giant phallus heading for the shrine's main hall.602 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.581 views
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The procession goers down the slope in front of Kumano Shrine.580 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.560 views
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Banner of shunga-style penis painting.554 views
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A large crowd tries to catch numerous mochi which are hard and can be dangerous if it hits you on the face or head. To avoid injury, do not look down and don't try to pick up mochi on the ground. You can get trampled, and most injuries occur this way.550 views
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The first mikoshi is for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto coming to visit his wife of Tamahime at Tagata Shrine, where Tamahime's residence was located.545 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests is pulled on a palanquin instead of being carried.526 views
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Palanquin for Deity of Harvests520 views
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512 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto511 views
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At 4 pm, the festival's final event is the mochi-nage or rice-cake tossing. First, they warn eveyone that the shrine won't be liable for any injury you might incur from this. And the elderly and children should avoid this mochi-nage.508 views
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Installed inside the shrine's Honden main hall, the new giant penis will replace the old one.491 views
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490 views
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Carried by men singing kiyari laborers' songs, the smaller wooden phallus also goes to enter the shrine's main hall.490 views
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Next is a palanquin (not mikoshi) for the Toshi-gami deity of harvests. 御歳神486 views
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Where the penis goes, the crowd follows.477 views
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Giant phallus makes its way to the shrine.476 views
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By this time, all the men are filled with sake and gregarious.473 views
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461 views
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Penetration successful. This is 3:30 pm.449 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami448 views
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They spin around the phallus.446 views
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The standard-bearer with a banner of shunga-style penis painting.445 views
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445 views
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441 views
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Salt sprinkler heads the procession to purify the way.432 views
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Not sure what this is.430 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto429 views
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Drum429 views
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Branches of the sacred sakaki tree.426 views
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The route is short, but it's a slow procession with many short breaks. The procession lasts 1.5 hours.426 views
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Sake cart424 views
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The first half of the route is quite narrow.412 views
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410 views
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409 views
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403 views
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The giant penis also arrives at the shrine as it spins around behind the397 views
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395 views
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Tagata Shrine grounds during the Honen Festival.393 views
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392 views
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Finally on the main road to Tagata Shrine. Half the road is blocked off for the procession.386 views
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Tagata Jinja banners.386 views
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380 views
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On the main road.378 views
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Entrance to Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.374 views
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The giant phallus in front Tagata Shrine's Honden main hall.374 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto371 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.363 views
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Salt sprinkler enters first.358 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto enters the Honden main hall.353 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.352 views
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345 views
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342 views
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