Photo gallery: Kanamara Matsuri

This most curious of traditional Japanese festivals is a yearly highlight at Kawasaki's Wakamiya Hachimangu shrine. Celebrating fertility in a no-holds-barred kind of way, the Kanamara Matsuri attracts both masses of locals and a considerable tourist contingent, and is carried out in a carnivalesque, friendly atmosphere that puts a smile on the face of every visitor. The festival centres on the mikoshi parade, the main attraction of which is seeing two giant members (one iron, one eye-catchingly pink) carried through the streets, while additional draws include (in)appropriately formed candy, vegetables and decorations, with a part of the proceeds donated to the important cause of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Time Out Tokyo braved the rain to document this phallic party on April 6, 2014...

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