Carrying the penis

"Kanamara Matsuri" - or the Iron Penis

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April 4th 2010
What better to complete a trip to Japan than a bit of penis pandemonium? As luck would have it I was just passing through Kawasaki when they were celebrating their annual Kanamara Matsuri festival, when a gigantic bright pink iron penis is carried from a shrine through the streets with locals and visitors dancing after it! This is a true newspaper report of the event from Japan's english langu ... read more

Asia » Japan » Tokyo

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In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more