OK, it's not actually a penis festival, it's a fertility festival. The Hounen Matsuri in Komaki is famous for it's 600 pound wooden penis, which is carried on a portable shrine called a Mikoshi. There are festivals all over Japan, all year round, and they usually involve a procession with a float. Each is unique in its own way, and this one is all about the penis.
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| From Japan 2009 |
The festival was packed with people, Japanese and foreigners alike. Some sucked on penis shaped popsicles, others ate more traditional festival food. I made the same lame joke to everyone I met, "Hey, did you bring your penis? It is a penis festival after all." Most just winced, or gave a courtesy laugh.
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| From Japan 2009 |
What did strike me was how titillated most of us were. Some folks were also shocked that there were children around who could see the wooden penises all over the place. My son wasn't there, because he was home sick, but any parent of a boy knows that they already know all about the penis, so I wondered why we're all so worried about kids seeing giant wooden pricks.
Like most things, the adults are more shocked and worried about the human anatomy than the kids are. At least, that's how it seemed to me. Still, it was weird was when the grandmothers in the crowd rubbed their grandchildren's hands on the wooden phallus. You wouldn't find that back in the US, that's for sure.
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| From Japan 2009 |
The atmoshpere was jovial, people were happy, and irreverent. I got to practice a little Japanese with some guys I met who were happily sucking on penis pops. I said, "Those are long and hard." They laughed and said, "Yours too," to which I replied, "Thanks to you!" which is actually a common response to a compliment in Japanese. They cracked up and we took photos.
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| From Japan 2009 |
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