Something Different

During our last week in Japan we had the opportunity to re-visit an unusual shrine, the Taga Jinja Shrine.  We had been here for an annual festival 6 years ago so we knew what we were expecting but we had to return.  Every year on March 15 they have a festival where thousands of people come to watch a parade where they carry around their object of worship.  They parade that thing around while serving free sake to all along with candy shaped “things”, smaller versions of the big one, and just plain craziness.  We read somewhere that it is some kind of fertility festival but we’re not sure if that is true.  The grounds of the shrine are lined with these things in all shapes and sizes.  Words simply cannot describe what they worship at this shrine; we will let the pictures speak for themselves.

From the outside things appear fairly normal.

This is what gets paraded around.

No matter what your pleasure they have your size.

During the parade they have young ladies carrying these around shoving them in your face and making you rub them luck or something.

Even the fenceposts have that shape.

Put your spare change in the slot and make a wish.

See?  They really do have a parade.