Fertility Festival – Otherwise known as the festival of the p33n

As promised, today I went to the fertility festival in Komaki. Yet another famous festival very close to where I live. I have never seen so many gaijin (foreigners) concentrated in one place in Japan. It was CRAWLING with foreigners.

Our friends at What’s Up Aichi state,

At the Tagata Shrine Fertility Festival in Komaki, a Shinto priest leads five women who carry offerings to the female god of fertility. Holding all-too-detailed carvings of oversized phalli, the women walk the short distance from shrine to shrine surrounded by townspeople and visitors with hopes of a bountiful harvest and prosperous year in their hearts. The star of the show, an enormous male member carved especially for the festival from a local cypress tree, soon makes its way from Kumano Shrine on the shoulders of the town’s 42-year-old men (the age is considered unlucky for unrelated reasons).

While the festival is generally light-hearted and the sake flows generously into the cups of pilgrims from far and wide, a serious aura also pervades, revealing the venerated place that the ceremony holds in the local lore. Don’t be surprised to come across the local clergy blessing the offering with the utmost gravitas.

Early in the adventure, the pressure was put on me by a colleague. “You speak Japanese, go ask where the [6 foot penis] is.” I was successful in my inquiry, and led our group of about 10 people to the giant member on the mountain.

Some claim the photos are not safe for work (NSFW). To see more, click through.

 

The large phallus had many fans.

 

The banners to be used in the processional were kept by the member, ready for action. The detail on the drawing is, well, detailed.

 

Crowds lined up for a glimpse of the large member on its march to the temple, and also anticipated the free sake to be handed out. I was able to get a cup of sake.

While we waited, people enjoyed special shaped candy.

 

And the star of the show approaches …

 

… and then makes it way past the throngs of people

 

 

I guess the unlucky 42-year-olds are carrying it. I had no idea that 42 was an unlucky age. I came to Japan this time at 42. I wonder what that means? Was I unlucky to come here? Or was I unlucky that once I got here things would be intense? I’m not sure. Thankfully, I guess, I am no longer 42. Does this mean better luck?

As you can see from this sign in Engrish, there are plenty of sourvinirs available, and I think souvenirs as well (although, I admit, I cannot spell souvenir to save my soul).

 

Here’s some candy that actually is equal opportunity.

 

The hotdogs were cut specially for the event to better represent the spirit of the festival.

 

And, as I suspected, the covered bananas were especially popular and a little more graphically carved.

 

The crowds in the food area were overflowing of course. I’m not sure why I took the picture over the trash, but anyway, that’s what I did.

 

Of course, at any temple you can put your wishes on a card and hang them up. Most of them are pretty serious, but a few Japanese got in the spirit of it.

 

Translation: May it be longer, harder, stronger, in its service in life. Note: Alternative translations welcome.

 

Translation: May it become bigger.

I guess these two missed out on the fertility aspect of the festival.

 

I had a good time at the festival. We met Megan on the train to the festival, and then eventually I was separated from my colleagues. Megan and I waited a long time to touch two marble balls at the shrine, and we met Alisa and Nicole. We enjoyed each others company and I hope to have a picture or two more to share. I also met Eric in line and then we bumped in to each other later and rode the train home and chatted.

One last note – it seems the naked man festival entry has caused my blog to be hit on any number of searches. You don’t want to know the keywords that show up in my access logs. I’m curious how this will increase the pervy search hits even more. We’ll see.