 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...3678 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises.3585 views
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Procession maidens pose with wooden penises. Tagata Shrine Honen Festival3189 views
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Sake flask2494 views
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Lollipops2302 views
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The phallus is a symbol for themes of fertility.2191 views
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2008 views
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Nose job1999 viewsI didn't see this among the souvenirs being sold. Wonder where he got it.
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1932 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.1891 views
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1869 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.1681 views
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Senbei crackers1625 views
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1540 views
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Demure-looking woman figurine looks deceiving until you look at the bottom...1536 views
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1514 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.1489 views
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People line up to rub the sacred balls. Penis rock in the foreground.1481 views
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Banner with ukiyoe shunga-style painting of a penis.1335 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.1319 views
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Palanquin maidens.1281 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the penis procession. Tagata Shrine Honen Matsuri1204 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests.1199 views
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Gozensai prayer ceremony before the start of the procession.1170 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1111 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.1108 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.1099 views
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1086 views
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The usual penis souvenirs on sale.988 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.979 views
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Various entertainment is staged within Tagata Shrine up until the procession starts at 2 pm.966 views
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Breaking the sake barrel947 views
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Another mikoshi with a wooden penis. For a good harvest.938 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937 views
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The short prayer ceremony ends.931 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.928 views
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Lots of people pose with the giant penis. Amid hordes of amateur photographers921 views
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Women spectators touch the penis for good fortune and to become fertile perhaps?910 views
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872 views
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Also see the video at YouTube. Honen-sai Festival, Tagata Shrine Honen Festival.869 views
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Conch shell859 views
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Inside Kumano Shrine. Notice the wooden penises on lower left.850 views
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Sake848 views
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Gozensai ceremony before the start of the procession.829 views
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Festival spectators come by the busload, including people from US military bases such as Yokota.828 views
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Torii gate to Kumano-sha Shrine.784 views
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Ema votive tablet with giant penis portable shrine. 500 yen.780 views
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Mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers gather in front of Kumano Shrine.771 views
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Kumano-sha Shrine, the starting point of the procession or "Penis Parade." 熊野社768 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.766 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto who was a local prince married to Tamahime which Tagata Shrine worships.734 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.730 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.724 views
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Sake flows freely.713 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto690 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).681 views
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Maidens who are 36 years old, carry wooden penises for protection during their "unlucky age" (yakudoshi).618 views
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People waiting for the procession along the shrine steps. (Not a good place to watch the procession.)615 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.).614 views
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Men in happi coats which read "Honen Matsuri." Honen literally means "year of abundant harvest."593 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.576 views
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The procession is ready to start from Kumano Shrine.573 views
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Now comes the giant phallus heading for the shrine's main hall.547 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami, the deity who led the descent of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) from heaven to earth.521 views
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The procession goers down the slope in front of Kumano Shrine.513 views
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People waiting for the procession in front of Kumano Shrine.502 views
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Banner of shunga-style penis painting.498 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.494 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.488 views
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Toshi-gami deity of harvests is pulled on a palanquin instead of being carried.466 views
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456 views
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Palanquin for Deity of Harvests455 views
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Takeinadane-no-Mikoto450 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.450 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.437 views
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Installed inside the shrine's Honden main hall, the new giant penis will replace the old one.437 views
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431 views
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Next is a palanquin (not mikoshi) for the Toshi-gami deity of harvests. 御歳神425 views
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Where the penis goes, the crowd follows.421 views
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By this time, all the men are filled with sake and gregarious.420 views
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Giant phallus makes its way to the shrine.418 views
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404 views
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Penetration successful. This is 3:30 pm.395 views
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They spin around the phallus.394 views
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Sarutahiko-no-Okami394 views
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The standard-bearer with a banner of shunga-style penis painting.390 views
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388 views
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383 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto380 views
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Not sure what this is.379 views
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Salt sprinkler heads the procession to purify the way.376 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.373 views
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Drum368 views
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Branches of the sacred sakaki tree.367 views
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Sake cart366 views
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The first half of the route is quite narrow.360 views
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353 views
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349 views
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341 views
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338 views
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The giant penis also arrives at the shrine as it spins around behind the335 views
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Tagata Shrine grounds during the Honen Festival.333 views
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Finally on the main road to Tagata Shrine. Half the road is blocked off for the procession.332 views
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330 views
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Tagata Jinja banners.330 views
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On the main road.322 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto322 views
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322 views
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Entrance to Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.317 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.317 views
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The giant phallus in front Tagata Shrine's Honden main hall.314 views
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Salt sprinkler enters first.308 views
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Tagata Shrine crowded with people waiting for the procession to arrive.300 views
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Portable shrine for Takeinadane-no-Mikoto enters the Honden main hall.300 views
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291 views
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288 views
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