article_snippet.sent: Shinto Kanamara Matsuri started as a small tradition but has grown into a popular a tourist attraction, with participants praying to a god of fertility, child birth and protection from sexually transmitted infections.
article_snippet.sent: Shinto Kanamara Matsuri, the Festival of the Steel Phallus, started as a small tradition but has grown into a popular a tourist attraction .
article_snippet.sent: Known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus, the Steel Phallus is held every spring at the phallus-shaped Kanayama Shrine.
article_snippet.sent: Participants pray to a god who is said to help with fertility, child birth and protection from sexually transmitted infections .
article_snippet.sent: the festival itself started nearly 40 years ago, and the Kanayama Shrine was once a popular place for prostitutes to pray for protection from sexually transmitted infections.
article_snippet.sent: Today, people visit the Kanayama Shrine to pray for everything from fertility and business prosperity to wedded bliss and good health.
article_snippet.sent: the Kanayama Shrine was once a popular place for prostitutes to pray for protection from sexually transmitted infections .
article_snippet.sent: Today, people visit the Kanayama Shrine to pray for everything from fertility and business prosperity to wedded bliss and good health .
highlights_snippet.sent: Shinto Kanamara Matsuri started as a small tradition but has grown into a popular tourist attraction .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus, participants pray to a god of fertility and protection from infections .
  