The Taga Shrine
At Taga Shrine in Uwajima, the main object of veneration is an enormous battering ram of a phallus. This massive, veined wooden penis is more than mere wishful-thinking on the part of the Japanese; it is a bona-fide cultural icon. As in, "Hey, get a load of that cultural icon." Demure Japanese women dressed in Western fashions and carrying Chanel bags come to Taga Shrine to pray before the phallus. They pray for easy childbirth, fertility, and good health, and it isn't in the least bit incongruous. Japan has a way of transcending incongruities: ancient/modern, subtle/burlesque, tradition/novelty.
Read more about this shrine here.
