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Japanese Penis Festival shrine distances itself from penis mascot

Mar 28 (soranews24.com) - Every spring, thousands of tourists from Japan and overseas descend on a shrine in Tokyo’s neighbouring prefecture of Kanagawa to celebrate one thing — the penis.

This symbol of fertility is at the centre of the Kanamara Matsuri (“Festival of the Steel Phallus”), which ranks as one of Japan’s “kisai” or “bizarre festivals“, and the story behind it is just as bizarre as the festival itself.

According to legend, a demon once sought revenge on a woman who rejected him by taking up residence inside her vagina and biting down on her husband’s penis so she was unable to procreate. In order to solve the problem, the woman paid a blacksmith to create a steel phallus to break the demon’s teeth, which he did, ultimately restoring her fertility.

You don’t just see giant phalluses at the festival — stallholders join the celebrations by selling all sorts of phallic goods, so you’re bound to see loads of penile paraphernalia in the area.

However, there is one penis that Kanayama Shrine wants to distance itself from, as it’s a mascot that many are mistakenly thinking is an official one related to the shrine.

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