5 Most Unusual And Weird Festivals In Japan

Forget everything you think you know about festivals! Japan has a whole different side to celebrations, filled with funny traditions, wacky competitions, and some things that might just make you raise your eyebrows.

‘The Kanamara Festival’

’Let's just jump right into the deep end. ‘The Kanamara Matsuri,’ also known as the Steel Phallus Festival, is exactly what it sounds like. Floats shaped like giant phalluses weave through the streets, vendors hawk phallic-shaped snacks, and the whole atmosphere is a riotous celebration of fertility and well-being. Forget the awkward sex talks of your youth, this festival tackles STDs with humour and a whole lot of, well, you know.

‘The Shukatsu Festival’

Death is a downer, right? Wrong! At the ‘Shukatsu Festival,’ or the “Try Before You Die" festival, you can test-drive coffins, sample funeral foods, and maybe even write your own eulogy (don't worry, it's all in good fun). The idaea? To confront death head-on and embrace life a little more fiercely.

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‘Naki Sumo’

Here's a parenting method you won't find in any handbook. the ‘Naki Sumo’ festival. In this 400-year-old tradition, sumo wrestlers hold up babies and try to get them to wail like champions. The loudest weeper wins! Believe it or not, this is said to bring good health to the little ones. So, the next time your baby lets loose, maybe channel your inner sumo coach and join the celebration (just kidding... kind of).

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'The Akutai Matsuri’

Feeling stressed? Need to vent? Head to the Akutai Matsuri, where you can yell obscenities at demon priests and try to steal their offerings (don't worry, it's part of the ritual). This centuries-old tradition is believed to ward off evil spirits, and let's be honest, sometimes a good scream-and-steal session is exactly what the doctor ordered.

‘Farts of Beautiful Women’ Festival

This one might not be officially sanctioned, but it's definitely out there. On Hinamatsuri, also known as Girls' Day, some folks celebrate with...well, farting. Women compete in flatulence contests and even engage in "fart rap battles." We won't judge (much), but this is certainly a unique way to, ahem, break the mould.

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