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Tagata Jinja has a twin festival at Ooagata Jinja around the same time.

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michael@michaelpam.com

Tagata Jinja. (Hounen-sai )

Tagata Jinja.Hohnen-sai

Bumper Harvest Festival near Inuyama

O.k. where to start. Todays festival is listed in all the guidebooks on Japan in their weird section. It felt like every non-japanese person in the area was here to be part of the weirdness (well we were there weren't we). We were keen to find out what it would be like.

On the Sunday we went to Ooagata Jinja for the sister parade to this one. There was quite a contrast. The Sunday festival felt small and local with very few tourists. It felt very personal as well as quite rowdy. Todays was more of a big event, lots of tourists, especially foreigners and it had, well.... many more penises.

Because the festival was on a Thursday and our partners were at work, Min and I went to the festival together. It is much more fun to go with someone else.

All shrines have these for luck. Usually a message and the shrines symbol. Today was no different. (they are called ema)

We wandered around in the shrine before the festivities started. It was very crowded with lots of stalls. A big buzz i the air.

We had something to eat and sat around with the crowd in the shopping centre car park. What was going on in that tent over there? people were crowded around it.

Lollies for sale in the tent (above). Specially for the festival I suppose.

The.Parade

On Sunday Peter and Min joined the parade at Ooagata Jinjai and walked to the shrine with the parade, whereas Pam and I waited in the shrine for the parade to arrive. We decided this time to walk with the parade as that would get us more involved.

Unlike the other parade though this one was a bit more structured, probably because it was much busier.

THe parade is actually very short, just over 500 meters or so, but it take about an hour and a half to travel from the Shinmei Shrine to the Tagata shrine.

At the front of the parade salt was thrown to cleanse the ground. We did our part and sprinked so of the salt we were given.

Just like on Sunday, the parade was led by a protective Tengu. (Sort of a dog like Monster spirit) .

The Tengu again

Tengu wear special shoes. He had to walk in these for an hour and a half!

One of guys in orange explained that the shecial tops can only be worn by local councilers. They paused in front of us so we had a chat.

Here come the girls of the unlucky age of 36.

" a group of women all of them 36 years of age who cradle a 20-inch (60-centimeter) wooden phallus in their arms like it were a baby. Thirty-six is traditionally thought to be an unlucky age for women so the women gain protection as well as energy by carrying these phalluses. Their revitalized energies in turn help to stimulate the energy of the male deity." - from japundit

Tamahime-no-mikoto , the Shrine's principal deity followed by he husband (in the red portable shine at the back. The carriers spin the shrines agound and hand out free sake to the crowd. The parade actually symbolises the reunion of the two people (husband and wife).

Carriers of the husbands symbol. Note the big pads on their shoulders. I guess that there are to keep everyone's shoulders at an even height.

These guys shouted irasshai (welcome) as they carried the Oo-Owasegata to the temple. They didnt just carry it though, they run and spun it and made a big deal of it.

The Oo-Owasegata is especially made of Japanese cypress and a new one is made each year.

Great shoulder pads

Someone You-tubed video of the festival - (from a Pevious year) . You can check out the spinning of the penis if you want.

The trees as known as sakaki. The Pink paper amulets give them the appearance of cherry blossoms. At the end of the day they are broken apart and thrown to the crowd, a bit like with flowers at the end of a wedding, but on a much bigger scale.

Singing songs and driking sake, these guys brought up the end of the parade.

getting organised

The torii at the front of Tagata shrine. The parade moved so slowly we walked aound it and got a good position right at the front

The Tengu arriving

This fellow spent the day posing with his banner

The crowd buzzes as the Oo-Owasegata arrived

The traditional music was great and a wonderful and exotic sound.

The last spin....or so I thought. When they brought the Oo-Owasegata inside the temple building we could see the guys giving it a spin inside the temple itself.

The guys sway around

And did the crowd love it. Cameras and big tv cameras alike.

Trying to get some final shots

The parade finally ends

Rice Cake.Throwing

On Sunday we missed the rice cake throwing. So we stayed and boy was it fun. About 20-30 guys stood on a big balcony and groups of them took turns launching their cakes into the crowd. The cakes were VERY heavy and there were regular warnings on the loadspeaker for young and old people to clear the area.

Ready to go You can see the broken up sakaki from the parade sitting on top of the piles of cakes ready to be thrown to the crowd.

The cakes were thrown hard and high and they hurt if they hit you. Some bounced out of my hands as I tried to grab them. But being tall was a distinct advantage and I grabbed a few.

One of my onl shots where you can see the cakes.