The fertility/harvest festival held annually at Tagata Shrine in Komaki, Aichi, isn’t as famous as the Kanamara festival, held near Tokyo, but is another example of an ancient Shinto event in which phallic objects abound.
Like with Kanamara, the Tagata Shrine honen festival makes for some very photogenic moments where a giant phallus newly carved from cypress is paraded around on March 15. This is led by the Shinto shrine’s priests in all their finery. Women in robes also walk around holding smaller phallus objects.
Festivals are also about making money for the shrine, and Tagata Shrine, which dates back 1,500 years, rakes it in with penis-shaped candies and snacks, plus other kinds of penis-shaped figures and souvenirs, which women seem to buy en masse.
The festival was cancelled in 2021 due to the pandemic but is happening since this year (presumably with masks). And they need help!
The shrine is currently seeking five female volunteers to take on the role of ceremonial bearers of phalluses during the parade. You get to wear special robes and walk around during the festival holding a large cock. What more could a gal want?!
You have to apply online by February 15. You can married or unmarried, and they don’t care about nationality. They especially want applications from women who are looking for romance, who are “unlucky ages” (19, 33, 37), and and who want children. Successful applicants will be decided on February 20.
