Utamaro Festival In Kawasaki
“The Kanamara Matsuri (“Festival of the Steel Phallus”) is an annual Shinto fertility festival held in Kawasaki, Japan in spring held in Kanayama shrine. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. The penis forms the central theme of the event that is reflected everywhere — in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade.Kanamara Matsuri, translated as "Festival of the Steel Phallus" or simply "Penis Festival," takes place every year on March 15 in Kawasaki, Japan to celebrate fertility and the male sex organ.
The Kanamara Matsuri is centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are divine protections also in business prosperity and the clan's prosperity, easy delivery, marriage, and married couple harmony. There is also a legend of a sharp-toothed demon that hid inside the vagina of a young girl and castrated two young men on their wedding nights (vagina dentata). As a result, the young girl sought help with a blacksmith, who fashioned an iron phallus to break the demon's teeth, leading to the enshrinement of the item”. – Wikipedia
Origins
This Shinto festival is not terribly ancient: it began sometime during the Edo period (1603-1867). It is based on a legend in which a sharp-toothed demon fell in love with a young woman and soon thereafter inhabited her vagina. Marriage after marriage, the demon would bite off the penises that dared to enter his residence. After one too many severed penises, the village blacksmith solved this annoyance by forging a steel phallus. The demon's teeth were broken upon insertion of this metallic object. Sometime thereafter this heroic conquering was officially recognized via annual celebration. Prostitutes would arrive at the local Shinto shrine to pray for security against venereal diseases.
Influence of Legend in the U.S.
The tale of a penis-biting demon is not exclusive to Japan; other cultures have had stories warning of the vagina dentata. For example, the U.S. film Teeth was released in 2007 depicting a modern teenager suffering from this ailment (her suitors undergo the true suffering, in my opinion). The official trailor can be viewed here.
The legendary vagina dentata is also referenced in Clerks 2, a more popular U.S. film. In one scene a character mentions to his coworker that his girlfriend has a "pussy troll" named Pillow Pants. This particular scene can be viewed here (I highly recommend using headphones if you are watching this clip in a public place).
Perhaps this illustrates vagina dentata (this is actually the sarlacc from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, but I'm sure you get the picture)
Precession
The head priest of the temple "transfers" the gods from the Kanayama Shrine to the portable shrine. Then it is the time to offer prayers to this god while being blessed by the head priest's sacred sakaki branch. Soon afterwards the three mikoshi are paraded around town crowded with spectators. The Kanamara-bune Mikoshi is the first to depart, then followed by the Elizabeth Mikoshi and the Kanamara Mikoshi.
The precession includes musical performances by taiko drummers as well as dancers doing the hula.
This shrine is located on the grounds of the Shinto temple Wakamiya Hachimangu. It was constructed to honor two Shinto deities: Kanayama Hikonokami and Kanayama Himenokami. These two are so special because according to Japanese folklore, they aided the wounded Izanami after she gave birth to the God of Fire (ouch!). They were thereafter known as the deities of childbirth and lower abdomen health. Eventually their roles transformed into protectors of venereal diseases and the safe keepers of marriages. Additionally they became the gods of bellows, which are used by blacksmiths to fan fire.
Activities
One can partake in a wide variety of eccentric activities during Kanamara Matsuri.
Feeling hungry? Eat a penis or vagina shaped treat.
Are the Japanese penis-obsessed? Are we uptight prudes? There does not seem to be a solid answer to either of these questions. While many Japanese people and visiting foreigners happily embrace Kanamara Matsuri, there are in fact citizens that refuse to openly recognize the festival's existence. Even with acknowledgment, they sometimes attempt to assure those who are curious that the festival was created for foreigners.
But what about the United States? Why do we not have a festival to celebrate the male sex organ? Here are just a few possible reasons in which I've been able to brain storm:
1. Japan > the U.S. (they do, after all, have square watermelon!)
2. Our culture is influenced by different religious views on human sexuality
I'd also like to point out that Kanamara Matsuri does not exclude any demographic from its celebrations. Meanwhile, talking about male genitalia seems to only be acceptable in private groups of young males (my male roommates, for example, are part of this little club).
One safe way to answer these questions is to simply acknowledge and value the cultural differences between Japan and the United States. We might as well accept the fact that we will not have commercials like this in the U.S. anytime soon.
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