Celebrating important events with fun, colossal terror!
For those who have never seen a Japanese festival in action before, it’s quite the experience. Along with music and dancing filling the streets, there’re usually people carrying giant “portable shrines” featuring everything from samurai and dragons to Gundam mecha to… well, phalluses.
But when it comes to family-friendly portable shrines, it doesn’t get much better than Tokyo University of the Arts’ recent creations. To celebrate the blooming of Ueno Park’s cherry blossoms, they brought out these unbelievable monsters:
▼ “Tokyo University of the Art’s portable shrines were displayed at Ueno Park.
That giant salamander is so cool.”
上野公園の広場に東京芸大の藝祭神輿が野外展示されていた。
— くろだまさし (@kurodamasa) March 26, 2016
巨大オオサンショウウオ神輿いいなぁいいなぁ pic.twitter.com/6mwxgnmRk6
▼ Good luck getting rid of this salamander from your doorstep!
▼ “Hello tasty snack!”
▼ A tiny human sitting on top of it, to show scale.
▼ Hey thanks for carrying that shrine on your back, giant white boar!
▼ Er, I mean… yes, I can carry it instead. If you insist….
▼ Seems like the boar has a soft spot for those who bring smaller,
golden boars to appease him.
▼ Sometimes you just gotta grab the bull by the horns…
▼ …but not when the bull is erupting forth out of a mountain.
▼ So this is what happened to all those dead Tamagotchis….
▼ We’ve seen this guy before, and now he’s back, crushing temples as usual.
▼ Yup, still crushing temples from this side too.
▼ “That human would be in so much trouble
if I didn’t enjoy crushing temples so much!”
Seeing giant festival shrines like that would get me pumped for anything. Blooming cherry blossoms, Brussels sprout harvest, paperclip sale at the local office supply store…you name it. If these monsters were there, I would be too.
If you want to see more work by students at Tokyo University of the Arts, then check out the Six Realms of Buddhism as Whales exhibit that they put up earlier this year. The whales may not be as big as these portable shrine monsters, but they’re no less gorgeous to look at.
Source: Twitter/@kurodamasa via CuRAZY
Images: Twitter/@kurodamasa
University students create giant artwork of an octopus attacking a temple, now seeking a buyer
Hanazono Jinja Shrine: Lanterns, stalls and rakes at annual Tori no Ichi cock festival in Tokyo
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
Starbucks Japan teams up with Converse Tokyo for a new limited-edition collection in honour of Tanabata
Japanese overnight sightseeing train returns for summer with ramen stops and ocean views
Studio Ghibli brings Totoro Soot Sprites out of the anime shadows for a new bag and pouch collection
Sanrio Character Poll announces winners, Hello Kitty absent from top 10 in many countries
7-Eleven Japan has a lot of famous food, but its new burrito needs to be on your radar
Studio Ghibli releases a musical diorama based on a touching anime scene from My Neighbour Totoro
Japanese train company brings back beloved “patapata” departure board…with a clever digital twist
One Piece docking at Round 1 amusement centers in both Japan and the USA
Live-action Spirited Away stage play announces world tour with first-ever U.S. and Canadian dates
Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, and we visited one to see how mugicha is made
Pikachu brings electric style to brand-new Pokémon G-Shock watch featuring every stater trio
Blind Tokyo commuter explains the easiest place for him to stand while riding the train
Sleep at Hoshinoya Nara Prison, one of the most unique hotels in Japan
Japanese man’s gross conveyor belt sushi social media prank video gets him a 500,000-yen fine
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]