Two years ago I went to Kawasaki Daishi for Kanamara Matsuri a.k.a the penis festival. Sadly on that occasion we arrived a little too late and missed the festivities although we did still get to erm, sample the dick!! No cock-ups this time although my colleague Bridget did her best to delay it for us as she kept me waiting for nearly an hour at Ikebukuro station.

It was sunny and packed when we arrived and there was a sizeable crowd surrounding some men carving daikon into a penis shape. Shortly after that we witnessed a load of men in drag hoisting the giant phalic symbols (actually portable shrines) aloft before they made their way through the crowds to embark on a street parade.

     

After that there wasn’t too much action so we had a quick look around the stalls selling various penis merchandise and then sat in the shade supping on a few beers while I sucked away for well over an hour, possibly even two on my lolly which was obviously in the shape of mens genitalia.