Shirihoudai

 AKA Kanamara Weiner Festival - the celebration of ugly trannies and horny tourists.  This is still on my list of things to see in Japan as I love a good freakshow.  Women straddling the 6 foot rocket penis. . .

and 70 year old tranvestites. . .

what more could you ask for at a spring festival?  Phallic shaped candies? You got it!

As quoted from the Mainichi

Kanamara Matsuri, literally the Festival of the Iron Penis, had its beginnings in the Edo Period (1603-1868) with the prayers of women called meshimori onna, according to Wakamiya Hachimangu, the Shinto shrine in Kawasaki where the event was held.

Meshimori onna were women employed by the Shogun rulers of Japan during the feudal era to serve travelers along major roads such as the Tokaido that ran from Edo (modern Tokyo) to the ancient capital of Kyoto, with Kawasaki serving as a lodging spot.

Although the meshimori onna were supposed to serve only food, they also served themselves for a price, and it was their custom of praying to the gods that led to the festival as it is today.

Kanamara Matsuri is said to have positive effectives on business and fertility, increases the chance of an easy birth, heightens the possibility of finding a partner, boosts marital harmony and wards off sexually transmitted diseases.

So you see, there is a reason for all the madness.  In addition to helping solve  Japan’s declining population, the festival serves many purposes - increasing the population, helping the local economy, AIDS awareness, transvestite tolerance, uncensorship of genatalia in public places. . . the list goes on and on.

(photos via Mainichi)

They even posted a video of the phallic fun here