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This festival is believed to promote fertility, sexual health and ward off STDs and infections. It has become a famous festivals among prostitutes as well because they would pray for protection from venereal diseases.
The three Mikoshi (portable shrines) are paraded around the festival. The oldest mikoshi is the Kanamara Daimikoshi. It is just an old log shaped in to a penis which has been used in this festival ever since it started officially in 1969 in Kawasaki city. Another mikoshi is the Kanamara Fune Mikoshi which is made out of steel which is a reflection of the legend. Fune which means ship, describes the base of a mikoshi. The third mikoshi is a pink penis mikoshi called Elizabeth named after and donated from Elizabeth Kaikan, a women's club devoted to selling clothes and make up for men who like to dress like women and a place for women to interact. Women and men from Elizabeth club carry this mikoshi hoping to promote awareness to sexual minorities and sexually transmitted diseases. Proceeds from the festival go towards HIV and AIDS research.
According to one legend, a demon in the Edo Period (1603-1868) had unrequited feelings for a beautiful woman. However, she married another man and the demon decided to wait in the woman’s vagina untill the wedding night. The moment the groom tried to consummate the marriage, the sharp-toothed demon bit off the man's member. Eventually the woman married again, but out of jealousy the demon mangled the new bridegroom's manhood again. So the villagers came up with a plan to trick the demon by using a steel phallus. The next time the demon tried his fiendish trick, he was left toothless. He immediately left the woman in peace. This is how till this day, people celebrate and promote fertility in this festival.
This festival can be an odd silly looking festival but fertility is extremely important for Japan where super-aged society is happening right now. It is said as of now 50.000 or more are in their hundreds Japan. It is estimated that by 2065 child birth in Japan will decrease to 560.000 leaving the population of young generation (age0-14) at 8.98 million which is half of the number of what it was in 2018. Life expectancy in Japan is only growing so there is a concern for future young generation. For this reason, childbirth need to increase in Japan as soon as possible.
By Kanamara Matsuri being such an unusual festival, perhaps people will be able to have interest for it and become aware of what it represents.