 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...3659 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises.3566 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival3166 views
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Sake flask2476 views
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Lollipops2289 views
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The phallus is a symbol for themes of fertility.2174 views
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1994 views
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Nose job1986 viewsI didn't see this among the souvenirs being sold. Wonder where he got it.
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1916 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.1873 views
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1854 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.1656 views
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Senbei crackers1612 views
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1524 views
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Demure-looking woman figurine looks deceiving until you look at the bottom...1521 views
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1505 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.1472 views
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People line up to rub the sacred balls. Penis rock in the foreground.1463 views
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Banner with ukiyoe shunga-style painting of a penis.1322 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.1306 views
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Palanquin maidens.1267 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests.1182 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the penis procession. Tagata Shrine Honen Matsuri1180 views
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Gozensai prayer ceremony before the start of the procession.1155 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1095 views
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Pregnant women also attend the festival. As well as mothers with a young baby coming to give thanks.1089 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.1073 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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1072 views
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The usual penis souvenirs on sale.975 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.964 views
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Various entertainment is staged within Tagata Shrine up until the procession starts at 2 pm.953 views
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Breaking the sake barrel933 views
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Another mikoshi with a wooden penis. For a good harvest.924 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924 views
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The short prayer ceremony ends.918 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.911 views
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Lots of people pose with the giant penis. Amid hordes of amateur photographers904 views
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Women spectators touch the penis for good fortune and to become fertile perhaps?898 views
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861 views
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Also see the video at YouTube. Honen-sai Festival, Tagata Shrine Honen Festival.852 views
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Conch shell845 views
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Inside Kumano Shrine. Notice the wooden penises on lower left.835 views
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Sake828 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the procession.816 views
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Festival spectators come by the busload, including people from US military bases such as Yokota.793 views
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Torii gate to Kumano-sha Shrine.768 views
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Ema votive tablet with giant penis portable shrine. 500 yen.768 views
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Mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers gather in front of Kumano Shrine.755 views
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Kumano-sha Shrine, the starting point of the procession or "Penis Parade." 熊野社752 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.749 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto who was a local prince married to Tamahime which Tagata Shrine worships.717 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.716 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.713 views
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Sake flows freely.700 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto675 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).669 views
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Maidens who are 36 years old, carry wooden penises for protection during their "unlucky age" (yakudoshi).607 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.).601 views
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People waiting for the procession along the shrine steps. (Not a good place to watch the procession.)600 views
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Men in happi coats which read "Honen Matsuri." Honen literally means "year of abundant harvest."580 views
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The procession is ready to start from Kumano Shrine.559 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.558 views
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Now comes the giant phallus heading for the shrine's main hall.532 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.509 views
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The procession goers down the slope in front of Kumano Shrine.497 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.487 views
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Banner of shunga-style penis painting.487 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.482 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.475 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests is pulled on a palanquin instead of being carried.453 views
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Palanquin for Deity of Harvests444 views
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442 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto438 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.436 views
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Installed inside the shrine's Honden main hall, the new giant penis will replace the old one.425 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.424 views
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420 views
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Next is a palanquin (not mikoshi) for the Toshi-gami deity of harvests. 御歳神414 views
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By this time, all the men are filled with sake and gregarious.411 views
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Giant phallus makes its way to the shrine.408 views
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Where the penis goes, the crowd follows.407 views
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391 views
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Penetration successful. This is 3:30 pm.385 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami382 views
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They spin around the phallus.381 views
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The standard-bearer with a banner of shunga-style penis painting.381 views
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374 views
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371 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto369 views
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Not sure what this is.368 views
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Salt sprinkler heads the procession to purify the way.363 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.361 views
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Drum359 views
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Branches of the sacred sakaki tree.358 views
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Sake cart352 views
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The first half of the route is quite narrow.348 views
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343 views
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338 views
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330 views
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327 views
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The giant penis also arrives at the shrine as it spins around behind the322 views
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Tagata Shrine grounds during the Honen Festival.322 views
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321 views
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Finally on the main road to Tagata Shrine. Half the road is blocked off for the procession.320 views
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Tagata Jinja banners.320 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto311 views
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On the main road.309 views
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309 views
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Entrance to Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.305 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.304 views
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The giant phallus in front Tagata Shrine's Honden main hall.302 views
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Salt sprinkler enters first.296 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto enters the Honden main hall.291 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.289 views
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281 views
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277 views
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