 Most viewed - Komaki 小牧市 |
The bottom of the woman figurine. Naughty, naughty...3758 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises.3672 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival3347 views
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Sake flask2556 views
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Lollipops2374 views
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The phallus is a symbol for themes of fertility.2252 views
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Nose job2090 viewsI didn't see this among the souvenirs being sold. Wonder where he got it.
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2075 views
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1997 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.1967 views
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1934 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.1786 views
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Senbei crackers1685 views
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1617 views
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Demure-looking woman figurine looks deceiving until you look at the bottom...1598 views
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1576 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.1568 views
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People line up to rub the sacred balls. Penis rock in the foreground.1564 views
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Banner with ukiyoe shunga-style painting of a penis.1431 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.1389 views
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Palanquin maidens.1350 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the penis procession. Tagata Shrine Honen Matsuri1301 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests.1259 views
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Gozensai prayer ceremony before the start of the procession.1229 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1193 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.1187 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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1157 views
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Pregnant women also attend the festival. As well as mothers with a young baby coming to give thanks.1157 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the procession.1138 views
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The usual penis souvenirs on sale.1044 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.1040 views
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Various entertainment is staged within Tagata Shrine up until the procession starts at 2 pm.1022 views
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Breaking the sake barrel1013 views
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Another mikoshi with a wooden penis. For a good harvest.1007 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988 views
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The short prayer ceremony ends.982 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.981 views
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Lots of people pose with the giant penis. Amid hordes of amateur photographers981 views
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Women spectators touch the penis for good fortune and to become fertile perhaps?960 views
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Also see the video at YouTube. Honen-sai Festival, Tagata Shrine Honen Festival.950 views
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924 views
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Conch shell920 views
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Inside Kumano Shrine. Notice the wooden penises on lower left.914 views
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Sake905 views
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Festival spectators come by the busload, including people from US military bases such as Yokota.894 views
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Torii gate to Kumano-sha Shrine.841 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.828 views
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Ema votive tablet with giant penis portable shrine. 500 yen.827 views
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Mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers gather in front of Kumano Shrine.826 views
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Kumano-sha Shrine, the starting point of the procession or "Penis Parade." 熊野社823 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto who was a local prince married to Tamahime which Tagata Shrine worships.795 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.779 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.776 views
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Sake flows freely.769 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto752 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).735 views
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People waiting for the procession along the shrine steps. (Not a good place to watch the procession.)676 views
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Maidens who are 36 years old, carry wooden penises for protection during their "unlucky age" (yakudoshi).673 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.).664 views
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Men in happi coats which read "Honen Matsuri." Honen literally means "year of abundant harvest."644 views
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This is what you see inside Oku-no-miya Shrine. A giant wooden phallus offering.625 views
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The procession is ready to start from Kumano Shrine.622 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.622 views
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Now comes the giant phallus heading for the shrine's main hall.592 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.568 views
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The procession goers down the slope in front of Kumano Shrine.567 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.549 views
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Banner of shunga-style penis painting.541 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.538 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.536 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests is pulled on a palanquin instead of being carried.514 views
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Palanquin for Deity of Harvests505 views
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503 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto501 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.495 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.482 views
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Installed inside the shrine's Honden main hall, the new giant penis will replace the old one.482 views
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477 views
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Next is a palanquin (not mikoshi) for the Toshi-gami deity of harvests. 御歳神475 views
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Apparently it can become erect too. (Compare with previous photo.)469 views
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Giant phallus makes its way to the shrine.463 views
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Where the penis goes, the crowd follows.462 views
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By this time, all the men are filled with sake and gregarious.460 views
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452 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami437 views
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Penetration successful. This is 3:30 pm.437 views
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The standard-bearer with a banner of shunga-style penis painting.436 views
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They spin around the phallus.434 views
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434 views
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430 views
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Not sure what this is.423 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto422 views
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Drum420 views
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Salt sprinkler heads the procession to purify the way.418 views
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Sake cart415 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.415 views
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Branches of the sacred sakaki tree.413 views
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The first half of the route is quite narrow.401 views
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398 views
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395 views
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390 views
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The giant penis also arrives at the shrine as it spins around behind the385 views
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382 views
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Tagata Shrine grounds during the Honen Festival.381 views
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379 views
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Finally on the main road to Tagata Shrine. Half the road is blocked off for the procession.375 views
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Tagata Jinja banners.373 views
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On the main road.369 views
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369 views
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Votice tablets written with people's wishes for love, sex, and babies.366 views
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The giant phallus in front Tagata Shrine's Honden main hall.362 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto362 views
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Entrance to Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.360 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.355 views
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Salt sprinkler enters first.349 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto enters the Honden main hall.343 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.342 views
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333 views
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330 views
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Best-looking phallic rock.318 views
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Oku-no-miya Shrine also has many other phallic objects presented as offerings. There even one which you can touch...317 views
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Phallic fence posts.301 views
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Tagata Shrine Honden main hall. Komaki, Aichi Pref.275 views
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Phallic souvenirs.274 views
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Tagata Jinja-mae Station on Meitetsu Railways' Komaki Line, a few stops from Inuyama Station. The shrine is a 10 min. walk from the train station.259 views
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Worst-looking phallic rock. That's stretching the imagination a little too much.257 views
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Phallic objects256 views
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Note that the phallus is not the object of worship. It is an offering to the god.255 views
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Female and male rocks.246 views
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245 views
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Stones and Oku-no-miya Shrine240 views
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Put in money and it will make a "chin" sound. (From the word "chinpo" for penis.)235 views
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Oku-no-miya Shrine. Look carefully and you can see what's inside. 奥宮223 views
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Phallic rock. There are several phallic rocks donated by various people. Apparently they are either natural or carved.222 views
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Votice tablet with illustration of the Honen Festival.215 views
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214 views
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Place to rub the sacred balls. 珍宝窟212 views
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Rub the two balls.205 views
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200 views
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194 views
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Tagata Shrine torii and entrance 田縣神社188 views
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Tagata Shrine Honden main hall which worships shrine worships a deity called Tamahime-no-Mikoto who was a daughter of a powerful local lord from the 5th century.185 views
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182 views
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182 views
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175 views
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Another pair of trees bonded together.174 views
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And another...168 views
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Torii to Oku-no-miya Shrine, next to the Honden main hall.166 views
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Behind the rocks are two trees bonded together.164 views
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Mikuji paper fortunes for love and romance, marriage, and childbirth.156 views
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Tagata Shrine stone marker150 views
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