Steel Phallus Festival 2014Steel Phallus Festival 2014Steel Phallus Festival 2014Steel Phallus Festival 2014Steel Phallus Festival 2014

Kanamara Matsuri - Steel Phallus Festival 2014
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Kawasaki, Japan – Participants during the Kanamara Matsuri, which held each first Sunday of April at Kanayama Shrine, April 6, 2014. After the lighting of the sacred flame at the shrine, a huge pink phallus-shaped mikoshi altar is carried around the city during a procession. The penis, central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables and decorations. There is also a museum near the shrine with a cast-iron sculpture of a vagina and a pair of legs. Visitors can purchase small penis-shaped souvenirs and rub it on the sculpture for good luck. (Photo by Francesco Libassi/AFLO)

The Steel Phallus Festival in Japan
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kanagawa, Japan – Visitors take photos of a woman sitting on a giant phallus during the Kanamara Festival at Kawasaki on April 6, 2014. Originally the Kanamara Matsuri was centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are also divine protections for business prosperity, easy delivery, and marriage harmony. Today, the festival has become something of a tourist attraction, with thousands of people joining from all over the world, and is used to raise money for HIV research. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)Kanamara Matsuri - Steel Phallus Festival 2014
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kawasaki, Japan – Participants during the Kanamara Matsuri, which held each first Sunday of April at Kanayama Shrine, April 6, 2014. After the lighting of the sacred flame at the shrine, a huge pink phallus-shaped mikoshi altar is carried around the city during a procession. The penis, central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables and decorations. There is also a museum near the shrine with a cast-iron sculpture of a vagina and a pair of legs. Visitors can purchase small penis-shaped souvenirs and rub it on the sculpture for good luck. (Photo by Francesco Libassi/AFLO)

The Steel Phallus Festival in Japan
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kanagawa, Japan – Visitors take photos of a woman sitting on a giant phallus during the Kanamara Festival at Kawasaki on April 6, 2014. Originally the Kanamara Matsuri was centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are also divine protections for business prosperity, easy delivery, and marriage harmony. Today, the festival has become something of a tourist attraction, with thousands of people joining from all over the world, and is used to raise money for HIV research. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)Kanamara Matsuri - Steel Phallus Festival 2014
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kawasaki, Japan – Participants during the Kanamara Matsuri, which held each first Sunday of April at Kanayama Shrine, April 6, 2014. After the lighting of the sacred flame at the shrine, a huge pink phallus-shaped mikoshi altar is carried around the city during a procession. The penis, central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables and decorations. There is also a museum near the shrine with a cast-iron sculpture of a vagina and a pair of legs. Visitors can purchase small penis-shaped souvenirs and rub it on the sculpture for good luck. (Photo by Francesco Libassi/AFLO)

The Steel Phallus Festival in Japan
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kanagawa, Japan – Visitors take photos of a woman sitting on a giant phallus during the Kanamara Festival at Kawasaki on April 6, 2014. Originally the Kanamara Matsuri was centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are also divine protections for business prosperity, easy delivery, and marriage harmony. Today, the festival has become something of a tourist attraction, with thousands of people joining from all over the world, and is used to raise money for HIV research. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)Kanamara Matsuri - Steel Phallus Festival 2014
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kawasaki, Japan – Participants during the Kanamara Matsuri, which held each first Sunday of April at Kanayama Shrine, April 6, 2014. After the lighting of the sacred flame at the shrine, a huge pink phallus-shaped mikoshi altar is carried around the city during a procession. The penis, central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables and decorations. There is also a museum near the shrine with a cast-iron sculpture of a vagina and a pair of legs. Visitors can purchase small penis-shaped souvenirs and rub it on the sculpture for good luck. (Photo by Francesco Libassi/AFLO)

The Steel Phallus Festival in Japan
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kanagawa, Japan – Visitors take photos of a woman sitting on a giant phallus during the Kanamara Festival at Kawasaki on April 6, 2014. Originally the Kanamara Matsuri was centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are also divine protections for business prosperity, easy delivery, and marriage harmony. Today, the festival has become something of a tourist attraction, with thousands of people joining from all over the world, and is used to raise money for HIV research. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)Kanamara Matsuri - Steel Phallus Festival 2014
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kawasaki, Japan – Participants during the Kanamara Matsuri, which held each first Sunday of April at Kanayama Shrine, April 6, 2014. After the lighting of the sacred flame at the shrine, a huge pink phallus-shaped mikoshi altar is carried around the city during a procession. The penis, central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables and decorations. There is also a museum near the shrine with a cast-iron sculpture of a vagina and a pair of legs. Visitors can purchase small penis-shaped souvenirs and rub it on the sculpture for good luck. (Photo by Francesco Libassi/AFLO)

The Steel Phallus Festival in Japan
(Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Kanagawa, Japan – Visitors take photos of a woman sitting on a giant phallus during the Kanamara Festival at Kawasaki on April 6, 2014. Originally the Kanamara Matsuri was centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are also divine protections for business prosperity, easy delivery, and marriage harmony. Today, the festival has become something of a tourist attraction, with thousands of people joining from all over the world, and is used to raise money for HIV research. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)