Steel Phallus Festival April 3, 2016

Kanamara Matsuri is an annual festival that is held on the first sunday of April at the Kawasaki Daishi temple near Kawasaki Daishi station. This time honored celebration re-enacts the epic of the kanamara, which translates into steel phallus.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who was plagued with a demon, a demon that lived inside of her vagina. This vagina dwelling demon would eat anything that enters its domain, severing any poor gentleman's regular mara that would be ensnared by the sharp teeth of the demon. The innocent woman in which the demon lived inside of attempted to get married, but sadly could not keep the husband alive past her wedding night. After a second failed marriage, she called upon a legendary blacksmith for help.

The blacksmith forged the mighty kanamara, a steel phallus, harder than stone and blacker than night.

When the young woman used the kanamara, the demon's teeth broke on the shaft, and ran away to the underworld. After that, the kanamara was sheltered at the Kawasaki Daishi temple, and can be seen anytime of the year. However, this year, 2016, April 3rd, the kanamara will be paraded around with its counterpart, the giant deka-mara.

Many people come to this festival and this temple to pray for healing from STDs and infertility. But nowadays it's been a giant foreigner spectacle of male genitalia shaped food, candy, and cosplay. Enjoy!