Honen Matsuri | Mar. 15

The Tagata Jinja Honen Matsuri, aka. the "Penis Festival"

What is the Honen Matsuri?

The Honen Matsuri, which translates to "Bountiful Harvest Festival," is one of Japan's most unique cultural celebrations. Held annually on March 15th at Tagata Shrine in Komaki (just outside central Nagoya), this centuries-old Shinto fertility festival honors the relationship between human reproduction and agricultural abundance. While locals know it for its cultural significance, visitors often refer to it simply as the "Penis Festival" – and for good reason.

My Festival Experience
It's around 14:00, the skies are slightly overcast, and the weather is a bit chilly here in Komaki, a small town in the Nagoya countryside. I'm packed tight with a crowd of Japanese and foreign visitors alike, staring intensely at a traffic-less street and a row of Japanese homes and udon restaurants. We're all waiting for a giant, 600-pound wooden phallus to be carried before our eyes.

All Shapes and Sizes
The promise of such phallic adventures lured me to the Honen Matsuri at Tagata Shrine, about a 30-minute train ride from central Nagoya. The name "Bountiful Harvest Festival" might sound agricultural, but the connection is symbolic – linking human fertility with soil productivity. Phallic symbols are the main attraction, and, much like nature, they come in various dimensions.

Unlike in the real world, here they are blown up to comic proportions in detailed carvings. The action starts right outside Tagatajinjamae Station, where vendors sell their fertility-themed wares.

The most prestigious vending spots are right outside the station, where year after year, a few elderly craftsmen sell beautifully rendered woodcuts and paintings of intricately detailed phalluses that, if not for their subject matter, display artistry worthy of fine galleries.

One of the more disorienting aspects of this trip is the fact that, after this eye-opening display, one strolls for about 15 minutes through a perfectly average sleepy Japanese town before arriving at the site of the festival, Tagata Jinja (shrine).

Here, visitors encounter more phallic visuals from food vendors selling all kinds of long, cylindrical treats. I go for the obvious choice: the chocolate-covered banana, which is delicious and really gets you into the fertility spirit. For some attendees, this experience might be a bit discomforting, but it allows everyone a chance to embrace the festival's playful atmosphere.

I navigate through the crowd, about one-third of whom are international visitors. The other two-thirds are elderly Japanese who, surprisingly, seem more taken aback by the number of foreigners than by the fact that they're surrounded by people selling phallic lollipops and standing in a shrine with permanent stone monuments emerging from the ground like giant mushrooms.

I find myself standing in a very long line - assuming it must lead to something interesting - when I'm greeted by a jolly Japanese festival participant. He carries a bag of carved wooden souvenirs over his shoulder, mostly phallus sculptures of different sizes and colors. He's delighted by the number of international visitors here to witness this traditional celebration. I can't help but pose for a few photos with him – a perfect Instagram opportunity.

The line leads to what is probably the second most significant aspect of the festival, aside from the main parade that will pass through shortly. An artistic and historically significant phallic sculpture within the shrine stands with two golden spheres jutting from the stone base. Visitors quickly learn that these spheres are to be rubbed for good luck and fertility blessings—a practice rooted in centuries of Shinto tradition.

After receiving my dose of luck and vitality for the year, I have just enough time to grab a few tall beers at the adjacent grocery store before the parade approaches.

The Sacred Procession
It's a festive affair with a surprising blend of reverence and humor. I notice that even the Japanese participants, dressed in traditional clothes and some wearing demon masks, occasionally struggle to maintain solemn expressions.

Women carry wooden phalluses about the size of a person's arm, cradling them ceremonially and allowing attendees to touch them for good fortune. Even local politicians participate, offering campaign messages and blessings before the main attraction appears, the Ōowasegata, an enormous, red, 600-pound wooden phallus that requires at least eight men to bear its weight.

This isn't just any wooden carving, though. Each year, a brand-new Ōowasegata is hand-carved from Japanese cypress specifically for the festival. This year's centerpiece was sculpted with all the reverence of an ancient religious icon—because, in Shinto tradition, that's precisely what it represents. As the parade makes its way from Kumano-sha Shrine, one of two rotating otabisho (sacred resting places), the mikoshi (portable shrine) bearers prepare for their challenging task.

Preceding the colossal symbol is an entourage of priests, flag bearers, and women holding smaller wooden phalluses like treasured artifacts. A mischievous Sarutahiko (the Shinto deity of guidance) leads the way, and the 42-year-old men bearing the shrine visibly strain beneath the weight of this sacred burden. The procession culminates at Tagata Shrine around 15:30, where the parade ends with a lively mochimaki (rice cake-throwing) celebration.

After the main attraction has passed by, more ceremonially dressed participants march through, offering free sake to visitors – a tradition not to be missed. The cloudy, milky white Nigorizake adds another layer of symbolism to the fertility-focused festivities.

After the Parade

When the procession concludes around 16:00, there's plenty of time to shop for omiyage (souvenirs). My recommendation is the golden phone case, which is sure to be a conversation starter on your morning commute.

Still feel like lingering after all the excitement? There are numerous stone monuments throughout the shrine grounds for making offerings, and the grocery store next door offers casual seating where you can enjoy a beer or sake while chatting with locals about the unique cultural experience you've just witnessed.

Pro Tip:
English guidance is available to foreign visitors thanks to the Komaki Interpretation Volunteer Society. Contact them by March 14 at 090-8072-2817 to meet your guide at Tagata Jinja Shrine's Main Hall from 10:00 on festival day.

Cultural Note:
While the festival's imagery might seem shocking to international visitors, Honen Matsuri has been celebrated for over 1,500 years as a serious prayer for agricultural fertility and prosperity. Try to appreciate both its humorous aspects and its deep cultural significance.

Festival Schedule

Still feel like lingering after all the excitement? There are numerous stone monuments throughout the shrine grounds for making offerings, and the grocery store next door offers casual seating where you can enjoy a beer or sake while chatting with locals about the unique cultural experience you've just witnessed.

The Details

Tagata Jinja Honen Matsuri
Date: March 15 (annually)
Time: 10:00~16:00

Access

By Train (recommended)

Take the Meitetsu Inuyama Line from Meitetsu Nagoya Station (名鉄名古屋駅) to Konomiya Station (国府宮駅).

Time: ~25 minutes
Fare: ~¥590

From Konomiya Station to Tagata Jinja Shrine

Distance: Walk about 10 minutes (800m)

Follow the signs and the crowd—many festival-goers will be heading in the same direction!

MAP

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