Fertility Festival (FINALLY!)!

I'm finally going to tell y'all about the Fertility Festival!  Haha!  I sure hope you haven't been holding your breath!

Just a little background for your reading pleasure:  Before I moved to Japan, my husband, Jeremy, asked me if I was going to go to a "Penis Parade" while living there.  I was like, WHAT?!  I mean, I grew up with Mardi Gras on the MS Gulf Coast.  I lived in New Orleans, right downtown in the Warehouse District, and worked in Harrah's Casino during Mardi Gras.  I really thought I had heard it all!  Naturally, I thought he was kidding with me.  So, I called him out on it, saying that there was no such thing as a Penis Parade. Of course, knowing my husband, I shouldn't have doubted him!  He challenged me to Google it, and I knew I was in trouble!  Now, it's not actually called a Penis Parade, but, googling that will get you to the Fertility Festival. Once I saw the photos, and the videos, I knew that there was no way I could live in Japan and not witness this madness for myself!

On April 7, 2013, my good friend, Pam, and I, went to Kawasaki for the Fertility Festival.  I'll start out with a little bit of the history of the festival, then I'll share my personal experience, and, of course, I'll share my photos.

How it all began:  During the Edo period, (1603-1867) Kawasaki was one of the final stops along the Tokaido en route to Edo (now Tokyo), where merchants would stop at the city’s tea houses, which doubled as brothels. The Kanamara Matsuri (Fertility Festival) is centered around a local shrine, which was once popular among Kawasaki’s prostitutes wishing to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases.This phallic festival originates from a rather nasty sounding legend of a sharp-toothed demon that hid inside the vagina of a young girl and castrated two young men on their wedding nights. As a result, the young girl sought help with a blacksmith, who made her an iron phallus to break the demon’s teeth, leading to the enshrinement of the item and the Kanamara Matsuri.  There are three portable shrines (called mikoshi) which are carried around the town in a very colourful procession. They are the Kanamara mikoshi (the original portable shrine), Kanamara-bune mikoshi (shaped like a boat), and Elizabeth mikoshi (the pink giant).

Today's meaning:  The festival is now a huge tourist trap.  I'm kidding!  Well, I'm partly kidding.  It does attract the tourists, (yours truly) but also many others.  Many married couples attend to pray for a long, happy, marriage.  Some, of course, pray for a fertile marriage, and along those lines, more still pray for healthy children.  Others come to pray for a healthy harvest, or even a prosperous business.  Also, the festival attracts a huge LGBT crowd.  There are lots of people dressed in drag, (quite fabulous!) not only attendees, but also some taking part in the parade. Who, or what does all this benefit (besides the locals)?  The festival raises money for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.  I did not know that before I went, but I think that is pretty awesome!!!   What better place to raise money for that cause than a festival filled with penises? And, a few vaginas!  Haha!

My experience:  Neither Pam, nor myself, were especially savvy with the train system, but we managed to get ourselves to Kawasaki.  However, we got ourselves to the wrong part of Kawasaki, and had to figure out how to get to the right part.  My friend, Brenda, was already there, so she helped us out.  Finally, we made it!  Unfortunately, the parade had already started. That did not deter us, though!  We followed it around, and managed to get a little ahead, so we got some good photos!  It was a sight!  These ginormous penises were being carried through the streets on top of people's shoulders.  Wow!  Boobies at Mardi Gras are nothing compared to penises at Fertility Festival!!!  After the parade, we found Brenda, and hung out with her and her friends.  First stop was the store to get some Chu Hi, and then we were on our way.  We saw all kinds of penises!  Big ones, little ones, black ones, pink ones, penis candy on a stick, penis keychains, big wooden penises you can sit on a take a picture, penis costumes...there were penises EVERYWHERE!  There were also a few vaginas, so I bought my husband a candy vagina on a stick.  Haha!  There were people dressed in drag, others dressed in funky costumes, and one guy dressed in a full body suit (he was creepy, but we got a pic anyway). Yes, we bought candy penises on sticks (how could we not?!).  The whole day was just a ton of fun!  Pam and I made it back to post that night, but we were in different tops.  We bought new ones that had penises on them (of course).

No, I didn't pray to the shrine, or at the shrine.  I went for the touristy stuff, and I enjoyed every minute.  Everyone there was having a good time.  I guess I should add one other thing...while to us, (Americans or westerners) this may seem like an adult's only type of festival, it's not to the Japanese.  So, yes, there were children there.  Yes, their parents did buy them candy.  Yes, it was a bit disconcerting to see little children eating penis-shaped candy.  But, that's my adult mind thinking that.  That kid doesn't know!  To them, that's just candy.  That's not to say I'd bring my kid, but it's a different culture.  

At some point during the day, I guess Pam figured out that the Chu Hi she'd been drinking had alcohol in it. Ha!  Thinking back, it may be my fault she didn't know.  She asked me what it was, or how it tasted at the beginning of the day, and I said, "Oh, you'll like it, it tastes a lot like Sprite."  Haha!  In all honesty, though, there is one Chu Hi that does taste a lot like Sprite!  We managed to find our way home via the train.  

This is just my opinion, but I think if you're going to be in Japan the first Sunday in April, this festival is a must-see!  I guarantee you'll find nothing like it anywhere in the world.  It's a really good time, and, as it turns out, it helps fund a really good cause.