Quote:A giant replica penis was paraded through the streets of a Japanese city as thousands of revellers gathered to pay homage to the organ. The annual Honen Matsuri festival draws huge crowds to its celebration of fertility.
The festival, which is said to be running for more than 1,000 years, took place in the city of Komaki on Thursday. Local young men sporting white robes and black hats carried the “O-owasegata,” a huge wooden penis, aloft and spun it around as those gathered watched on, snapping pictures and videos on their phones.

Visitors are encouraged to touch the wooden penis as tradition dictates that the act will bring good harvest to farmers and fertility to young couples. A new O-owasegata is carved every year for the occasion.