Kanamara Festival

The Kanayama Shrine in the precincts of Wakamiya Hachimangu is known as ”Kanamara-sama” and is familiar to local residents. It has two pillars, Kanayama Hikogami and Kanayama Himekami, enshrined as gods.

At the Kanamara Festival held once a year on the first Sunday in April, in addition to Shinto rituals and prayers, three mikoshi, Kanamara Mikoshi, Kanamara Fune Mikoshi, and Elizabeth Mikoshi, with the motif of the male genitalia, which is considered to be sacred, are carried about in a grand manner.

It is said to be beneficial for prosperous business, prosperity of offspring (child-giving), easy delivery, marriage, marriage harmony, and more recently, it has become internationally famous as a festival to raise awareness of AIDS, and many foreign visitors to Japan also visit it.

Many tourists enjoy dressing up in costumes, and at the stalls in the precincts and the surrounding shops, candy crafts and goods with the motif of the sacred body are sold, making for a very lively atmosphere.

Venue: Wakamiya Hachimangu and Kanayama Shrine
By Train: 3 minutes on foot from Kawasaki-Daishi Station on the Keikyu Daishi Line

*For details and schedule, please check the latest information on the official website.