Ok so call me crazy but this is the main reason why we came to Japan this year...The first Sunday of April Kawasaki puts on a fertility festival - Kanamara Matsuri. Only the Japanese would throw a party celebrating the penis!
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If you ever plan on going, one word of advice: GO EARLY. The festival starts at 11 but it gets crowded real fast. We were there at 8:30 to stand in line for lollipops, which the line opened at 9 and got suuuuuper long. I was one of the first in line :)
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The weather was ugly when we got there and thankfully it cleared up (sort of!) so it wouldn't be a muddy mess.
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I wanted to buy a bottle of this sake but we were worried it would break bringing it home
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Waiting for the parade...
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This was right around 11...
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Another word of advice...don't wait around at the start of the parade like I did if you want to take pictures. I got crappy pictures because there were too many people in the way. Go down the block across the street from the temple where it's less crowded
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Like I said, go early. This is around noon after the parade had passed. This is the beginning of the line just to get in
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This is the back
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When we jumped on the subway I noticed that the line went around the block all the way to the next street!
My lollipop stash...
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How to get there:
Jump on the Yamanote Line to Shinagawa Station (or Asakusa line > Sengakuji)
Switch to Keikyu Line > Keikyu Kawasaki (around 10 mins on the Rapid Ltd. Exp. or around 25 mins on the local service)
Change to the Keikyu Daishi Line > Kawasaki Daishi
Take the South Exit, you will see a Sunkus store across the street. Go into the street to the right of it and the temple will be on the right.
Have fun!
5 comments:
Haha, crazy! I gotta show Len the pics!
So fun! Too bad didn't have mochi ones - the men would have cringed with each destructive bite!
Michele - it was hilarious to see all the guys sucking on lollipops!! They had vajayjay kind too but it wasn't as popular :)
Honolulu Aunty - you're cracking me up here!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! You did good, Les!! The picture with Randy praying . . . PRICELESS!!!!
hahahahahaaa but bummahs, I never seen the big wooden one where people could sit on. Either they brought it out after we left or it was too darn crowded for us to find it. I never seen any daikon shaping either!
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