Setsubun Festival

Setsubun Festival

I arrived in Osaka Japan at the end of January 2023 for my study abroad experience. Three days after landing I was still fighting jet lag and the procrastination of unpacking my suitcase when I heard about an event. Talk amongst the other international students at the dorm was about the Setsubun festival taking place that weekend.  Setsubun is an annual celebration welcoming the spring season and casting out evil spirits. At Buddhist and Shinto shrines all across the country, people flock together to witness the shows and ceremoniously shed off the previous winter. 

The prospect of attending my first big event so soon after landing made me forget the 30 hours of flying I had just completed. From my location at Kansai Gaidai University my travel group had to take a 30 minute train ride to the temple. As a country boy from rural Tennessee, the trains were quite a shock to me. I had never taken public transportation, let alone on a system in which I could barely read the language. Fortunately a student in our group had been in the country the previous semester and was an old hand at navigating the train lines. He showed us how to read the maps and electronic dashboard showing arrival times. 

After arriving at our stop and collecting a conbini snack haul, we began our ascent to Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine. The shrine began construction in the year 859 AD so every stone step and wooden beam felt as ancient as it looked. Before taking the stone staircase up the mountain visitors must pass through the bottom courtyard, gardens, and koi ponds littered with local birds. At the Torii gate guarding the staircase I received a lesson from the shrine caretakers about the proper manners for entering a shrine. One must always enter the gate through the sides as the center is reserved for the Kami (Spirits). Japanese beliefs hold that there are spirits that permeate all of nature and like to visit shrines as it allows them to be closer to their people. Legends also state that they will take on human forms and walk among worshippers. To be considerate of these spirits we were kindly asked to refrain from speaking too loudly so as to not disturb them. Bamboo stalks taller than 3 story buildings and camphor trees provided a hiking canopy that  drank from the various creeks that crisscrossed the mountain. 

At the top we joined the crowd of at least 1,000 people gathered around to watch the demonstration. During the Setsubun festival it is customary to throw soybeans through the front door to ward off evil spirits. To bring this tradition to life the temple had actors dress up as oni (green and blue demons) and beat their kanabos(war clubs) on the stone as they lurked towards the temple. Snarling at the crowd, the oni made their way to the foot of the main shrine. The front doors are guarded by thirty foot arrows that are thick as telephone poles. Between these arrows are caretakers and children dressed as monks waiting with the rest of the crowd. As the oni make their final approach up the ramp everyone in attendance begins throwing cooked soybeans to ward the oni off. Our valiant effort repelled several attempts from the oni before fleeing back into the bamboo surroundings.

Still munching on my leftover soybeans for good luck, I made my way to the shops parallel to the main stage. These shops sold handmade charms, blessings, and other items to visitors. The money brought in is all put towards the upkeep of the temples and their caretakers. I selected a stamp book common at all temples. This book is meant to show others where you have visited. Shrines all over the country sell these books and unique calligraphy artworks drawn by a caretaker. Visit enough shrines and you will have an artistic roadmap of your travels that are sure to make your friends jealous.