I read it somewhere that it was done by a monk. Whats the purpose of designing this kind of structure?
2006-09-20 04:56:34 · 10 answers · asked by DeathStar 4 in Travel ➔ Asia Pacific ➔ Japan
There's actually several throughout japan. They are based in ancient fetility rituals. The two I know of are in Kawasaki near Tokyo and Tagata Shrine in the Nagoya area.
Check out this story about Tagata shrine:
http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?article_class=5&no=289987&rel_no=1
The one in Tagata has a large wooden phallus that rests iside the shrine all year. In tagata the Honen-Sai festival represents the union of two gods from local shrines. In life they were husband and wife some 1700 years ago. The festival doesn't worship the Phallus though a lot of attention is given to it, it's actually the female - the earth - that is worshipped. The Phallus is part of energy revitalization that the land needs to be fruitful. The whole festival is one of energy revitalization with the people, the phallus, and the earth giving and receiving energy.
The festival in Tagata takes place March 15. In Kawasaki, the first or second sunday of April. Check out Youtube as well. There are other penis festivals and shrines on there from different areas.
Here's one from tagata's festival:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MfHrUcbhO4
Here's a news report from about Chiwawa Matsuri:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPuQIgSuKSw
2006-09-20 16:19:25 · answer #1 · answered by samurai_dave 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Visiting Tagata Shrine: Should you wish to pray, it is customary to begin by purifying your hands at the water basin in front of the shrine. Stand well away from the basin itself, first grasp the dipper in your right hand and pour water on your left. Then, reverse the procedure for your right hand. Finally take the dipper again in your right hand and pour a little in your cupped left hand and bring it to your mouth. Please do not drink directly from the dipper. Touch the water to your lips (or you may also rinse out your mouth) but don't swallow, since that would mean taking impurities into your body. Simply spit the water out on the stones at the foot of the water basin. At the main sanctuary, most people bow twice, clap their hands twice, then bow a final time. The coins offered are donations as well as symbols of people's petitions to the deity they now cast in her direction.
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Getting there is fairly simple. The tickets are 710 yen each way. From Shin Nagoya station (next to JR Nagoya Station) catch the Meitetsu Inuyama line to Inuyama station. Inuyama is about 30 minutes from Nagoya and is a major station and the first with several platforms.
At Inuyama station change to the Komaki line (platform 3) and catch any train traveling back in the same direction you arrived, south. Get off at the third station, Tagata Jinja Mae, and you will have no problems finding the shrine. Walk to the west and turn to the left (south) down the main road or just follow the others.
2006-09-20 12:06:08 · answer #2 · answered by Relevant 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
â¡If it's not 'Tagata Shrine' you meant (Relevant sounds right),
http://www.gld.mmtr.or.jp/~i-news/Ohagatajinjya.htm
http://www.geocities.jp/seibu_k2002/tagata2005/
http://hashimoto.jp.land.to/repo/20060315tagata/
http://homepage3.nifty.com/yuu-san/t&o_shrines/shrine_history.htm
ï½could thisâ be what you're referring to?
http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyotravel/tokyojapantravel/365/tokyojapantravelinc.htm
http://news.3yen.com/2006-04-03/gods-save-the-queens-elizabeth/
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/photospecials/graph/060403kanamara/
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=275
âIf so...
"GETTING THERE
From Shinagawa take a Keihin Kyuko (red) train towards Yokohama. Get off at Keikyu Kawasaki stn, go down the stairs and take a Daishi Line train three stops to Kawasaki Daishi stn. From there, walk across the street and you'll find Kanamara Shrine (Wakamiya Hachiman-gu shrine) just a few meters down on the right. From JR Kawasaki stn take the No. 23 bus for Daishi and get off at Wakamiya Hachiman-gu shrine. Contact Kanamara Shrine (Wakamiya Hachiman-gu Shrine) on Tel: 044-222-3206 or Fax: (044-233-3060)."
Hope this helps!â¡
2006-09-20 19:00:39 · answer #3 · answered by C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
of coarse their is a shrine to the penis. i japan huh, so its a small shrine.
we have them in america too
washington monument for 1
2006-09-20 12:06:51 · answer #4 · answered by staci m 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a shrine devoted to a penis?
2006-09-20 12:04:04 · answer #5 · answered by Microbiology.girl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tono, Iwate
2006-09-21 00:44:04 · answer #6 · answered by turntable 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hit the site below ok
2006-09-20 11:58:49 · answer #7 · answered by americandreamboy4u 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go and see,but dont ask anyone about its address,u know why
2006-09-20 11:59:31 · answer #8 · answered by dew m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol. seriously?
2006-09-20 11:58:01 · answer #9 · answered by ily♥ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol
2006-09-20 14:16:12 · answer #10 · answered by shishimhbgvf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋