Held annually in the small Japanese city of Komaki in central Japan, the Honen Matsuri festival is the survival of an ancient and once widespread ritual believed to ensure the growth of all living things and a good harvest.
It is centred around two Shinto shrines dedicated to the god Mitoshi-no-kami and the goddess, Tamahine-no-Mikoto. The festival originates from an ancient Japanese belief that for the growth of all things, Mother Earth has to be impregnated by Father Heaven.
A smaller gathering dedicated to the female Shinto deity takes place the Sunday before the main male-orientated festival. The central celebrations centre around the Tagata Jinja Shrine, which is believed to have
