The Roving Ronin Report

Nakizumo at first, second, and possibly third glance looks like some kind of baby psychological torture but the ritual is actually for the babies' health and wellbeing. Nakizumo is sumo wrestlers trying to get babies to cry. The first baby to cry wins.  The gyoji (referee) will goad the babies on by saying "nake! nake!" which means cry. The wrestlers will gently rock the babies and grimace at them. If that doesn't work then the judges come into the ring with devil masks to scare the little ones into crying. All of this seems like some bizarre baby torture but in old days when infant mortality was high a crying baby was seen as a healthy baby. Nakizumo goes back some 400 years and parents still bring their babies to have them scared for good luck and long life. Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo Competing babies get a blessing first   You look ridiculous ...

The Kanamara Matsuri of Kawasaki, Japan is a cocky little festival where the floats would make a sailor blush. It's a balls-to-the-wall festival where zaniness reigns supreme with giant penis floats, unconvincing drag queens, people sucking on penis lollipops, and dick-themed hats and costumes. The origins of the festival go back to the Edo Period (1603-1867). Supposedly there lived a girl who had a demon take up residence in a certain part of female anatomy. When she was married her husband found out about her hidden inhabitant to his horror. In the process of consummating the marriage, the husband was castrated when the devil bit off the poor fellow's member. A second husband also suffered the same fate (presumably no one told him about the first husband). A local blacksmith forged an iron phallus and when this was put in the proper (or improper) place, the devil broke its teeth on it and thus fled. The devil-quelling device was enshrined and in later times lad...