1. Naki Sumo – The crying baby festival.
This baby crying competition involves two sumo wrestlers each holding up a baby each. The referee then puts on scary masks in attempts to make the babies cry. The loudest and longest crier is declared the winner. This 400 year old tradition is said to keep the babies in good health.
If one contestant proves too stubborn or stoic to cry, the judge will don a red tengu mask and frighten the infant to tears.

2. Kanamara Matsuri – Festival of the Iron Phallus
The Kanamara Festival is well-known around the world for being the penis festival. The festival draws huge crowds to Kawasaki, Kanagawa, as phallus fans can go crazy over candy, illustrations, vegetables, and more, all centering around the male organ. Although there are colliding thoughts about why the festival takes place, some say it’s to ward off STDs and others say it’s to pray for successful childbirth.

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