Shrine · Kawasaki Daishi

Kanayama Shrine (Kawasaki) 金山神社

The tiny shrine inside Wakamiya Hachimangu that hosts the Kanamara Matsuri, the famous phallus festival held on the first Sunday of April, and grants prayers for fertility, safe childbirth and protection from STIs.

About

Kanayama Shrine is dedicated to the deities of metalworking and blacksmiths, and by legend also to protecting fertility, after a tale about a sharp-toothed demon defeated with an iron phallus. Edo-period prostitutes prayed here for protection from disease, and today it is known worldwide for the Kanamara Matsuri, when giant phallus-shaped mikoshi, including a pink one called Elizabeth, are paraded through the streets and proceeds go to HIV research. The rest of the year it is a small, quiet shrine within the Wakamiya Hachimangu grounds, with an anvil, blacksmith's altar and phallic statues and votive objects that visitors photograph with amusement. It is a five-minute walk from Kawasaki-Daishi Station.

Highlights

• Home of the Kanamara Matsuri on the first Sunday of April
• Blacksmiths' shrine with an anvil and forge altar
• Phallic statues and votive ema
• Festival proceeds support HIV research
• Inside the grounds of Wakamiya Hachimangu

Tips

• Festival day is extremely crowded; arrive early morning
• Respect worshippers outside the festival; it is still an active shrine
• Combine with Kawasaki Daishi, 10 minutes' walk
• Phallic candy and souvenirs are sold only around the festival

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Ajinomoto Kawasaki Plant TourActivities & Experiences · 360 m away
• Kawasaki Daishi (Heiken-ji)Temple · 430 m away
• Sumiyoshi (Kawasaki Daishi Kuzumochi)Café & Sweets · 560 m away
• Kawasaki Daishi Nakamise-doriShopping Street · 600 m away
• Daishi ParkPark · 690 m away
• Fujimi ParkPark · 1.3 km away
• Kawasaki RacecourseSports & Sumo · 1.3 km away
• Kawasaki City Hall Observation Lobby & Sky DeckVista & View · 2.0 km away