 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...3693 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises.3595 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival3208 views
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Sake flask2504 views
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Lollipops2314 views
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The phallus is a symbol for themes of fertility.2200 views
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2019 views
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Nose job2008 viewsI didn't see this among the souvenirs being sold. Wonder where he got it.
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1941 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.1900 views
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1878 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.1695 views
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Senbei crackers1634 views
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1547 views
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Demure-looking woman figurine looks deceiving until you look at the bottom...1544 views
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1523 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.1498 views
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People line up to rub the sacred balls. Penis rock in the foreground.1495 views
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Banner with ukiyoe shunga-style painting of a penis.1343 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.1326 views
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Palanquin maidens.1289 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the penis procession. Tagata Shrine Honen Matsuri1216 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests.1209 views
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Gozensai prayer ceremony before the start of the procession.1179 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1123 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.1119 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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Pregnant women also attend the festival. As well as mothers with a young baby coming to give thanks.1104 views
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1093 views
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The usual penis souvenirs on sale.995 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.988 views
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Various entertainment is staged within Tagata Shrine up until the procession starts at 2 pm.973 views
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Breaking the sake barrel958 views
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Another mikoshi with a wooden penis. For a good harvest.945 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945 views
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The short prayer ceremony ends.938 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.935 views
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Lots of people pose with the giant penis. Amid hordes of amateur photographers928 views
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Women spectators touch the penis for good fortune and to become fertile perhaps?917 views
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Also see the video at YouTube. Honen-sai Festival, Tagata Shrine Honen Festival.880 views
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878 views
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Conch shell866 views
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Inside Kumano Shrine. Notice the wooden penises on lower left.858 views
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Sake857 views
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Festival spectators come by the busload, including people from US military bases such as Yokota.838 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the procession.836 views
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Torii gate to Kumano-sha Shrine.793 views
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Ema votive tablet with giant penis portable shrine. 500 yen.786 views
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Mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers gather in front of Kumano Shrine.778 views
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Kumano-sha Shrine, the starting point of the procession or "Penis Parade." 熊野社776 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.774 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto who was a local prince married to Tamahime which Tagata Shrine worships.741 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.738 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.729 views
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Sake flows freely.721 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto697 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).688 views
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Maidens who are 36 years old, carry wooden penises for protection during their "unlucky age" (yakudoshi).626 views
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People waiting for the procession along the shrine steps. (Not a good place to watch the procession.)623 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.).622 views
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Men in happi coats which read "Honen Matsuri." Honen literally means "year of abundant harvest."601 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.582 views
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The procession is ready to start from Kumano Shrine.579 views
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Now comes the giant phallus heading for the shrine's main hall.553 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.526 views
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The procession goers down the slope in front of Kumano Shrine.522 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.508 views
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Banner of shunga-style penis painting.505 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.500 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.495 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests is pulled on a palanquin instead of being carried.473 views
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461 views
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Palanquin for Deity of Harvests461 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.457 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto456 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.442 views
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Installed inside the shrine's Honden main hall, the new giant penis will replace the old one.442 views
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437 views
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Next is a palanquin (not mikoshi) for the Toshi-gami deity of harvests. 御歳神432 views
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Where the penis goes, the crowd follows.428 views
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By this time, all the men are filled with sake and gregarious.426 views
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Giant phallus makes its way to the shrine.423 views
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411 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami400 views
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Penetration successful. This is 3:30 pm.400 views
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They spin around the phallus.399 views
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The standard-bearer with a banner of shunga-style penis painting.396 views
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394 views
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390 views
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Not sure what this is.386 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto385 views
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Salt sprinkler heads the procession to purify the way.382 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.378 views
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Branches of the sacred sakaki tree.373 views
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Drum373 views
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Sake cart372 views
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The first half of the route is quite narrow.365 views
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359 views
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355 views
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347 views
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343 views
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The giant penis also arrives at the shrine as it spins around behind the340 views
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Tagata Shrine grounds during the Honen Festival.339 views
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Finally on the main road to Tagata Shrine. Half the road is blocked off for the procession.338 views
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335 views
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Tagata Jinja banners.335 views
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On the main road.327 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto327 views
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327 views
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Entrance to Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.322 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.322 views
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The giant phallus in front Tagata Shrine's Honden main hall.319 views
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Salt sprinkler enters first.313 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.306 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto enters the Honden main hall.305 views
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296 views
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293 views
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