Most viewed - Tagata Shrine Honen Festival 田縣神社 豊年祭 |
The bottom of the woman figurine. Naughty, naughty...3772 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises.3686 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival3360 views
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Sake flask2569 views
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Lollipops2385 views
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The phallus is a symbol for themes of fertility.2263 views
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Nose job2104 viewsI didn't see this among the souvenirs being sold. Wonder where he got it.
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2091 views
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2009 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.1977 views
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1945 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.1805 views
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Senbei crackers1699 views
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1630 views
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Demure-looking woman figurine looks deceiving until you look at the bottom...1609 views
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1591 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.1583 views
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People line up to rub the sacred balls. Penis rock in the foreground.1577 views
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Banner with ukiyoe shunga-style painting of a penis.1447 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.1401 views
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Palanquin maidens.1361 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.1271 views
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Gozensai prayer ceremony before the start of the procession.1241 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.1201 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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1173 views
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Pregnant women also attend the festival. As well as mothers with a young baby coming to give thanks.1170 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the procession.1152 views
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The usual penis souvenirs on sale.1056 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.1052 views
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Various entertainment is staged within Tagata Shrine up until the procession starts at 2 pm.1036 views
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Breaking the sake barrel1027 views
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Another mikoshi with a wooden penis. For a good harvest.1016 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1000 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.993 views
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The short prayer ceremony ends.993 views
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Lots of people pose with the giant penis. Amid hordes of amateur photographers993 views
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Women spectators touch the penis for good fortune and to become fertile perhaps?974 views
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Also see the video at YouTube. Honen-sai Festival, Tagata Shrine Honen Festival.969 views
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939 views
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Conch shell935 views
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Inside Kumano Shrine. Notice the wooden penises on lower left.930 views
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Sake915 views
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Festival spectators come by the busload, including people from US military bases such as Yokota.908 views
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Torii gate to Kumano-sha Shrine.855 views
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Mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers gather in front of Kumano Shrine.839 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.838 views
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Ema votive tablet with giant penis portable shrine. 500 yen.838 views
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Kumano-sha Shrine, the starting point of the procession or "Penis Parade." 熊野社835 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.793 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.788 views
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Sake flows freely.785 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto773 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).747 views
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People waiting for the procession along the shrine steps. (Not a good place to watch the procession.)689 views
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Maidens who are 36 years old, carry wooden penises for protection during their "unlucky age" (yakudoshi).683 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."657 views
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The procession is ready to start from Kumano Shrine.635 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.635 views
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Now comes the giant phallus heading for the shrine's main hall.603 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.583 views
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The procession goers down the slope in front of Kumano Shrine.582 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.561 views
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Banner of shunga-style penis painting.555 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.551 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.548 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests is pulled on a palanquin instead of being carried.528 views
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Palanquin for Deity of Harvests522 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto513 views
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513 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.511 views
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Installed inside the shrine's Honden main hall, the new giant penis will replace the old one.495 views
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494 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.492 views
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Next is a palanquin (not mikoshi) for the Toshi-gami deity of harvests. 御歳神490 views
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Where the penis goes, the crowd follows.480 views
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Giant phallus makes its way to the shrine.478 views
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By this time, all the men are filled with sake and gregarious.475 views
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462 views
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Penetration successful. This is 3:30 pm.450 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami449 views
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The standard-bearer with a banner of shunga-style penis painting.449 views
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447 views
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They spin around the phallus.446 views
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444 views
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Salt sprinkler heads the procession to purify the way.433 views
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Not sure what this is.433 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto431 views
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Drum430 views
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Branches of the sacred sakaki tree.429 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.429 views
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Sake cart427 views
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The first half of the route is quite narrow.414 views
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411 views
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410 views
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403 views
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The giant penis also arrives at the shrine as it spins around behind the399 views
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397 views
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394 views
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Tagata Shrine grounds during the Honen Festival.393 views
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Tagata Jinja banners.389 views
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Finally on the main road to Tagata Shrine. Half the road is blocked off for the procession.388 views
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382 views
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On the main road.380 views
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Entrance to Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.376 views
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The giant phallus in front Tagata Shrine's Honden main hall.375 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto372 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.365 views
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Salt sprinkler enters first.362 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto enters the Honden main hall.354 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.352 views
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347 views
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343 views
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