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Japan: Nothing says springtime like a penis festival
Article courtesy of GlobalPost.com
Bring on the giant wooden penis. The vagina shrine, too.
By Jonathan Adams
Published: March 16, 2010 16:42 ET
KOMAKI, Japan — It's springtime in Japan and that means one thing.
Actually, two things. Penis festivals and vagina festivals.
It may sound like a sophomoric gag. But these are folk rites going back at least 1,500 years, into Japan's agricultural past. They're held to ensure a good harvest and promote baby-making.
Maybe they should hold more such festivals. Japan has one of the world's lowest birthrates (1.37 children per woman), which experts blame on stagnant incomes and changing gender relations.
Article continued here
Bring on the giant wooden penis. The vagina shrine, too.
By Jonathan Adams
Published: March 16, 2010 16:42 ET
KOMAKI, Japan — It's springtime in Japan and that means one thing.
Actually, two things. Penis festivals and vagina festivals.
It may sound like a sophomoric gag. But these are folk rites going back at least 1,500 years, into Japan's agricultural past. They're held to ensure a good harvest and promote baby-making.
Maybe they should hold more such festivals. Japan has one of the world's lowest birthrates (1.37 children per woman), which experts blame on stagnant incomes and changing gender relations.
Article continued here
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