Kitano Setsubun

Setsubun kicks off at Kitano with a kyogen comedy in which an oni descends on a village but is first cowed by the vitality of Otafuku and then seen off by a bean-throwing priest

Following the kyogen sketch is a dance performed by the local geisha from Kamishichiken

Maiko trainees also take the stage to perform in company with their elder sisters. Notice the gorgeous hair pieces on the lady to the left, together with the enticing nape of the neck left naked of the white make-up

After the dance performance comes the highlight of the event, the ‘mamemaki’ (bean-throwing). Catch one of the packets being thrown and you will be able to disspell your demons and have luck through the coming year.

Packets of beans were thrown right, left and centre to the packed throng, causing much jostling and excitement

While the maiko dispersed bean packets to those nearer the stage, this priest made an effort to toss his packets as far as possible

Rather more stately throwing action from this maiko…

One of the packets flew, as if fated, straight into my hands. ‘Lucky beans’ it says, together with the Kitano emblem and a design of plum blossom  (plum being the favourite of the shrine’s kami)

Afterwards there were cameramen all too eager to get up close to the year’s first blossom, already out to celebrate the traditional start of a new year

Afterwards, a mere ten minutes away, there was a Setsubun event at a Buddhist temple, Senbon Shaka-do, with yamabushi (mountain ascetics) leading the way

Behind the priests can be seen one of several oni (demons) that took part in the event. The priests paid respects to a large statue of Otafuku.

Otafuku, or Okame, plays a role in Setsubun as a symbol of fertility. With her plump cheeks, she suggests well-being and is known for her lewdness (rather like Elizabethan barmaids!). Demons don’t stand a chance. (For more about her, see https://www.greenshinto.com/2012/03/25/otafuku-and-uzume/)

The event at the temple was noticeably more religious in nature than at the Kitano shrine, with chanting of the Hanya Sutra and a recital by the temple preservation society. The yamabushi also carried out a fire ritual in which prayer boards are ritually burnt.

There were demons vying for centre stage…

… and then we got the ‘mamemaki’ bean throwing – except disappointingly it wasn’t beans but peanuts in their shells!! Perhaps the Buddhist demons have a different kind of phobia than the Kitano ones.

3 Comments

  1. Hugo Kempeneer

    Cool article

  2. Jann Williams

    I enjoyed reading about the different Setsubun ceremonies at the Shinto Shrine and Buddhist Temple John. Quite a contrast. The Grand Setsubun Festival held by Oomoto is different again, in many ways. For one thing it runs till around 4 am in the morning. A major focus is the blessing of the hitogata which are taken in a procession with burning torches to the Wachi River in Ayabe. Here they are thrown into the water. Bean throwing is also involved, inside the Choseiden, right at the end of the festival. As you can imagine, it is a religious ceremony through and through. I had the privilege of attending in 2014. It was a remarkable experience.

    • John D.

      Thanks for that description, Jann. Adds a different dimension to Setsubun. Hearn writes a lot about hitogata, which seems to have played a big role in the past, so in that respect perhaps Oomoto are keeping up tradition more than most. It’s an appealing idea to use an effigy, or human cut out, on which to get rid of one’s impurities.

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