Got Wood?
This past weekend the Hodare Festival was celebrated in Niigata Japan. If you’ve never heard of this, let me bring you up to speed. It’s a fertility festival that dates back to the 17th century and done to help fertility and bring good marriage to new couples by touching a giant wooden penis. Did I not mention that yet? Sorry, guess I should have mentioned that first.
The giant penis actually carries spiritual and religious significance and new brides ride on it or pray to it to bring marital bliss and fertility.
The word Hodare translates to “male genitals” which explains the giant wooded penis (although the character for hodare means “the ripening of rice plants”). It’s 2.2 m in length and weighs 600 kg and is carried by the men during the procession.
But wait, there’s more! Also during the festival you can buy penis and vagina shapes treats on a stick.
Also phallic nicknacks too (marital aid?). Very cool. I wonder why this sort of thing never caught on over here?
Play Asia
March 12th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
We do have things like this in America, but instead of giant wooden penises, we have muscle cars, monster trucks, assault weapons and sports bragging.
I wonder if Japanese communities in the states celebrate Hodare festivals? Would probably get a lot of attention, and not all of it good.
March 13th, 2012 at 12:41 am
Ever wonder if there were tourists in the city when this happened? I know I wouldn’t be able to get the stupid grin off my face.
March 13th, 2012 at 10:35 am
Japanese festivals are awesome. So is their attitude toward this type of thing. I would love to go to this festival at some point in my life.
While it may not have the phallic focus of the Hodare festival, you should check out the Danjiri Matsuri (Kishiwada?). It is another Festival that would never fly in America, though for different reasons. Almost without exception, someone dies from being crushed by a cart. It too is awesome, but not for the crushing.