James May got injured while carrying a big steel penis on his shoulder
https://youtu.be/zsmokBKAgKY
In this special Behind the Scenes video we get to see James May while recording for his new show Our Man in Japan.
We see James carrying a giant steel phallus during the the annual Kanamara Matsuri.
James had the honour to be the first Brit ever of carrying the float. That honour soon turns into chaos. When the presenter got injured and struggled to escape the charge with an actual tonne of cock on his shoulders. Because James was noticeably taller than the other participants he carried the most weight.
May was in peril which all plays out on screen. ‘I’m too tall – I’m dying!’ he yelped, which fell on deaf ears. “But you’re British samurai”. Laughed his guide, alarmingly unaware May appears to be keeling over in agony.
Which injuries James had is unknown to us. But we´re pretty sure his shoulder his back and probably his knees were very painfull.
The Kanamara Matsuri
The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (かなまら祭り, “Festival of the Steel Phallus”) is held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine (金山神社 Kanayama-jinja) in Kawasaki, Japan. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade.
The Kanamara Matsuri is centered on a local penis-venerating shrine. The legend being that a jealous sharp-toothed demon hid inside the vagina of a young woman the demon fell in love with and bit off penises of two young men on their wedding nights. After that the woman sought help from a blacksmith, who fashioned an iron phallus to break the demon’s teeth, which led to the enshrinement of the item. This legend is in Ainu language. It was translated and published as “The Island of Women” by Basil Hall Chamberlain.
The Kanayama Shrine was popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted infections.
It is also said the shrine offers divine protections for business prosperity, and for the clan’s prosperity; and for easy delivery, marriage, and married-couple harmony.
The festival started in 1969. The festival has become something of a tourist attraction. Nowadays it is used to raise money for HIV research.
Our Man in Japan starts on 3 january on Amazon Prime.
Click here for more information about “Our Man in Japan”.
You can also visit us on Youtube, Facebook, Twiter and Instagram.