Festival of the steel phallus

The Kanamara Festival is held each spring in Kawasaki near Tokyo. These photos are from 2007. The event venerates the metal-working gods Kanayama-hiko and Kanayama-hime. These deities are said to have power to grant easy childbirth, marital harmony and protection from sexually transmitted diseases. The name of the festival, “Kanamara”, literally means “metal phallus”.