Kanayama Jinja Shrine — Attraction in Kawasaki

Terminally online people, who are fascinated with Japan, LOVE to talk about Kanayama Shrine...almost as much as they love posting pictures and videos of its (in)famous fertility festival, where massive phalluses are hoisted and hefted around on plinths and marched down the narrow streets by crowds of unruly revelers.

Despite the fact that it IS something that needs to be seen to be believed, in the quiet months on either side of the festival, this shrine is a calm, reverent retreat, where those who would pray for those struggling with fertility or childbirth issues can offer their sincere hopes and wishes for overcoming whatever scenario they are struggling with. This was the case for my wife and I whom, having met an incredible couple from Ireland, struggling with said fertility issues, earlier in our trip, we felt it would be a welcome gesture to offer up some prayers on their behalf.

We purchased a wooden prayer placard (¥500) from the temple shop window, and wrote our message to them using the provided pen. We also purchased a happy, smiling little pink member talisman (with included "lucky" fortune), because my wife is immature and couldn't stop giggling about it. Turns out, our fortune was anything but lucky, so we tied it up to be burnt, and bought another one, to take home; it contained a much luckier fortune, if you were curious.

Coming to Kanayama Shrine during the festival is one thing: I'm sure the whole thing is completely unhinged, and maybe some day we'll check it out. Just don't expect the same sort of raucous, raunchy revelry every other day of the year. In short, if you pay a visit here during the "off-season", don't be a...

Shinto (神道 Shintō) or kami-no-michi (among other names)[note 1] is the traditional religion of Japan that focuses on ritual practices to be carried out diligently to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past.[2]

Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified religion, but rather to a collection of native beliefs and mythology.[3] Shinto today is the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of 'spirits', 'essences' (kami),[4] suited to various purposes such as war memorials and harvest festivals, and applies as well to various sectarian organizations. Practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Nara and Heian periods (8th–12th...

I am an American who has been blessed to have the opportunity to visit Japan on two occasions now. I got into goshuin collecting during my first visit to the country. I just love the beauty of ao.e and the uniqueness of all of the different ones from the different shrines and temples. Via social media during my second visit, I stumbled across an exhibition of over 225 different goshuin at a gallery in tokyo. I stopped in and was the only foreigner in the entire building. There were so many beautiful and unique goshuin on display. They passed out a flyer that listed all of the shrines who had goshuin on display. That is how I came across this shrine. It's a very interesting shrine that I intend to do more research on. I collected all four of the goshuin offered here, the standard and the illustrated version. If you have the opportunity, you should stop here and pick up a goshuin. If the illustrated o es are what you are looking to obtain come on...