| Kanamara Matsuri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observed by | Kanayama shrine, Kawasaki, Japan |
| Type | Religious |
| Date | First Sunday in April |
| 2023 date | April 2 (2023-04-02) |
| 2024 date | April 7 (2024-04-07) |
| 2025 date | April 6 (2025-04-06) |
| 2026 date | April 5 (2026-04-05) |
| Frequency | annual |
The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (かなまら祭り, "Festival of the Steel Phallus") is an annual Japanese festival held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine (金山神社, Kanayama-jinja)inKawasaki, Japan. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade.[1][2][3][4][5] The shrine is part of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine[6] and located near Kawasaki-Daishi Station.
The Kanamara Matsuri is centered on the Kanayama Shrine where the god Kanayama-hiko and the goddess Kanayama-hime are venerated. They are both gods of blacksmithing, metalsmithing, and metal works, and are also prayed to for easy childbirth, marital harmony, and protection from sexually transmitted infections.[6][7]
The festival started in 1969.[8] Today, it has become something of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research.[9]
At the Kanamara Festival, three portable shrines, "Kankiiamara Mikoshi," "Kanayama Boat Mikoshi," and "Elizabeth Mikoshi," are patrolled.
