 Most viewed - Tagata Shrine Honen Festival 田縣神社 豊年祭
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The bottom of the woman figurine. Naughty, naughty...3662 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises.3569 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival3172 views
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Sake flask2480 views
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Lollipops2291 views
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The phallus is a symbol for themes of fertility.2176 views
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1996 views
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Nose job1988 viewsI didn't see this among the souvenirs being sold. Wonder where he got it.
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1918 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.1877 views
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1858 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.1660 views
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Senbei crackers1614 views
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1527 views
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Demure-looking woman figurine looks deceiving until you look at the bottom...1524 views
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1507 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.1476 views
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People line up to rub the sacred balls. Penis rock in the foreground.1468 views
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Banner with ukiyoe shunga-style painting of a penis.1325 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.1308 views
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Palanquin maidens.1270 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests.1185 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the penis procession. Tagata Shrine Honen Matsuri1184 views
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Gozensai prayer ceremony before the start of the procession.1159 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1098 views
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Pregnant women also attend the festival. As well as mothers with a young baby coming to give thanks.1091 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.1075 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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1074 views
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The usual penis souvenirs on sale.977 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.967 views
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Various entertainment is staged within Tagata Shrine up until the procession starts at 2 pm.955 views
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Breaking the sake barrel935 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927 views
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Another mikoshi with a wooden penis. For a good harvest.926 views
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The short prayer ceremony ends.920 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.913 views
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Lots of people pose with the giant penis. Amid hordes of amateur photographers906 views
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Women spectators touch the penis for good fortune and to become fertile perhaps?900 views
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863 views
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Also see the video at YouTube. Honen-sai Festival, Tagata Shrine Honen Festival.856 views
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Conch shell849 views
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Inside Kumano Shrine. Notice the wooden penises on lower left.837 views
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Sake832 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the procession.818 views
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Festival spectators come by the busload, including people from US military bases such as Yokota.795 views
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Torii gate to Kumano-sha Shrine.771 views
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Ema votive tablet with giant penis portable shrine. 500 yen.770 views
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Mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers gather in front of Kumano Shrine.757 views
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Kumano-sha Shrine, the starting point of the procession or "Penis Parade." 熊野社754 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.753 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto who was a local prince married to Tamahime which Tagata Shrine worships.721 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.720 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.715 views
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Sake flows freely.702 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto679 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).671 views
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Maidens who are 36 years old, carry wooden penises for protection during their "unlucky age" (yakudoshi).609 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.).604 views
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People waiting for the procession along the shrine steps. (Not a good place to watch the procession.)602 views
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Men in happi coats which read "Honen Matsuri." Honen literally means "year of abundant harvest."582 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.563 views
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The procession is ready to start from Kumano Shrine.561 views
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Now comes the giant phallus heading for the shrine's main hall.534 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.511 views
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The procession goers down the slope in front of Kumano Shrine.500 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.490 views
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Banner of shunga-style penis painting.489 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.484 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.477 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests is pulled on a palanquin instead of being carried.456 views
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Palanquin for Deity of Harvests447 views
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445 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto440 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.439 views
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Installed inside the shrine's Honden main hall, the new giant penis will replace the old one.428 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.426 views
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422 views
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Next is a palanquin (not mikoshi) for the Toshi-gami deity of harvests. 御歳神417 views
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By this time, all the men are filled with sake and gregarious.413 views
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Where the penis goes, the crowd follows.411 views
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Giant phallus makes its way to the shrine.410 views
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394 views
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Penetration successful. This is 3:30 pm.387 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami385 views
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They spin around the phallus.384 views
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The standard-bearer with a banner of shunga-style penis painting.383 views
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377 views
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374 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto372 views
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Not sure what this is.371 views
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Salt sprinkler heads the procession to purify the way.365 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.363 views
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Drum361 views
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Branches of the sacred sakaki tree.360 views
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Sake cart355 views
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The first half of the route is quite narrow.351 views
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346 views
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341 views
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332 views
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329 views
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The giant penis also arrives at the shrine as it spins around behind the325 views
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Tagata Shrine grounds during the Honen Festival.324 views
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323 views
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Finally on the main road to Tagata Shrine. Half the road is blocked off for the procession.322 views
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Tagata Jinja banners.322 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto314 views
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312 views
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On the main road.311 views
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Entrance to Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.307 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.307 views
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The giant phallus in front Tagata Shrine's Honden main hall.305 views
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Salt sprinkler enters first.298 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto enters the Honden main hall.293 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.292 views
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284 views
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280 views
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