Japan Events and Festivals

2/03/2008 - 2/04/2008Bean Throwing Festival (Setsubun)

Held on the day before spring (Risshun) begins, Setsbun is a religious festival that has taken place in Japan for hundreds of years. Darkness and cold having long been associated with malign forces, the festival's rituals are performed to chase away the evil spirits of winter to make way for the rejuvenating forces of spring. Although many of the rituals have now died out, one that prevails is the scattering of roasted beans around the home, temples and shrines whilst shouting "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Devils out, happiness in"). When the ritual is over, participants must seek out and eat one bean for each year since their birth