Kanamara Penis Festival 2026

You read that right. The Kanamara Matsuri, aka the Penis Festival, features phallic imagery in everything from the decorations to the snacks, but the main show is a parade of numerous giant penis statues, including one that’s pink.

Plus, it’s all for a good cause — profits raised from the event go to HIV research.

If you’re interested in other fertility festivals in Japan (yes, there’s more than one), then get stuck into this list of “penis festivals” from around the country.

Kanamara Penis Festival history: Why is it a thing?

Here’s some backstory to Japan’s world-famous penis festival. Kanayama Shrine, where the festival is held, was once popular with sex workers from the local tea houses. They often prayed here to the gods of mining and blacksmiths Kanayamahiko and Kanayamahime — they sound totally unrelated to private parts, right? Wrong.

Legend has it that the deities healed the Shinto goddess Izanami after she gave birth to a fire god. Ouch. Because of this myth, people prayed to the gods for safe childbirth and protection from sexually transmitted diseases.

There’s also another colorful story. This tells of a demon who fell in love with a woman and hid inside her vagina, biting off her newlywed husband’s penis — twice. She then sought help from a blacksmith who made her a metal phallus. It broke the demon’s teeth and sent him off for good. They then later enshrined it in Kanayama Shrine as a sort of commemoration.

Schedule 2025

The Kanamara Penis Festival date for 2025 is now confirmed. The parade always takes place on the first Sunday of April (April 6 in 2025). See below for the timings.

Saturday, April 5

• The shaving of daikon radish into phallic shapes will begin from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine (near Kanayama). You can watch this experience or be one of the lucky 30 people to join in (for around ¥15,000). After, you’ll get a shrine stamp and visit a special museum with suitably shaped artifacts. Places can be booked on the website Omatsuri Japan a few weeks before the event. Note that the experience and booking site is in Japanese, but the visuals do a lot of the talking.
• There will be a Yoimiya Festival (a kind of pre-festival festival) from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 6 — the big day!

• A small ceremonial burning will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
• Several ceremonies will take place around the mikoshi from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• The moment you’ve all been waiting for, the penis parade will commence from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature four types of phallic statues. The procession will set off from near Kanayama Shrine and head to Daishi Park, arriving around 12:30 p.m. and setting off back the way it came at 1 p.m. The procession will finish at Kanayama Shrine at 2 p.m. Note that these are predicted times and the procession sometimes takes a little longer.

Saturday and Sunday, April 12 to 13

• The weekend following the festival will have stalls, an exhibition, and photo spots from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., where you can take photos of the static mikoshi.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tokyo Cheapo (@tokyocheapo)

How to get there

The Kanamara Penis Festival is held around Kanayama Shrine, Daishi Park, and Kawasaki Daishi Temple. Kanayama Shrine, where the festival starts, is around a 5-minute walk from Kawasaki-Daishi Station. It’s about a 30-minute journey from Shinagawa Station and a 45-minute journey from Tokyo Station. You’ll first need to get the train to Kawasaki Station and change to the Keikyū Daishi Line.

The mid-way point of the festival takes place at Daishi Park, which is around a 10-minute walk from Higashimonzen, the station after Kawasaki-Daishi.

FAQs and tips

We’re sure you’ve got a lot of questions about this one.

Why is the Kanamara Penis Festival celebrated?

The main meaning behind the Kanamara Festival is that Kanayama Shrine has a long history connected to local sex workers. It is known as a spot to pray for healing and protection from STDs. The name of the festival is also a play on the Japanese slang word mara, which means male genitals. So instead of the shrine’s name, Kanayama, the festival is called Kanamara. For legends and myths, see our above section on the history behind the festival.

How many penis statues are there?

There are usually four kinds of penis statues: a small one carried on a single piece of timber, a medium-sized wooden one, one made of black iron, and a large pink one called the “Elizabeth Mikoshi,” which is donated by a drag queen club called Elizabeth each year.

What can I buy and eat at the Kanamara Festival?

Treats abound at this festival. Chomp down on phallus-shaped bananas and candy or set your sights on an amusing t-shirt or two. There are also interesting handmade crafts and jewelry, all in theme.

How can I avoid the crowds?

The festival does get busy. If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the main shrine (but still want to experience the merch and sweet stalls), then we recommend getting off at the station after Kawasaki-Daishi Station, Higashimonzen Station, and walking down to Daishi Park. The park has plenty of stalls, and this is where the parade will turn around before heading back to the main Kanayama Shrine.

Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.