5 Top Setsubun Festival Spots in Tokyo 👹 Banish Evil With Beans on Feb. 2!
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Embrace Japanese traditions and ward off evil for the coming year at these five Tokyo Setsubun Festival celebrations, where you can become a slay demons with beans.
CONTENTS
If you’ve read enough manga or watched enough documentaries on Japan, you might be familiar with the image of people throwing beans at demons, chasing them away with flying legumes. This is actually one of the main traditions of the Setsubun Festival (節分), a celebration that marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, typically held within the first few days of February each year. This year, the festival is being held on February 2, 2025.
Setsubun Festival Traditions
Setsubun is associated with traditional New Year’s celebrations, so one of festival’s key activities is mamemaki (豆まき), or bean-throwing, which is said to drive away evil spirits and keep you safe in the coming months. Japanese oni, sometimes translated as “demon” or “ogre”, were once thought to be the source of illnesses and disasters of all kinds, so people would throw beans to banish them from their homes and ward off the bad luck they brought with them. Since oni don’t always seem to show themselves at opportune moments, a person wearing an oni mask acts as the target while others throw beans at them, shouting “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (鬼は外 福は内), which means “Demons out! Good fortune in!”
Mamemaki is the most widely-practiced Setsubun tradition, but a relatively recent addition to the holiday is “ehomaki” (恵方巻き), which are thick sushi rolls stuffed with a wide variety of ingredients. Though this tradition only began in Osaka within the past century, people have come to believe that if you face this year’s officially designated lucky direction and eat the entire roll in silence (without cutting it!), you’ll enjoy good fortune throughout the year. So grab an ehomaki from the supermarket, stuff it in your mouth in silence with all your friends and family, and then get out there and see what fun Setsubun events there are to find in Tokyo!
Where to Celebrate Setsubun in 2025: Setsubun Festival Spots in Tokyo
① Sensoji Temple
Image Source: SensojiTemple
Setsubun celebrations at Sensoji Temple date back to the Edo period, and to this day you can stop by to see beans thrown from a stage located on the eastern side of the main hall. Unlike most Setsubun celebrations, this one actually skips the traditional call of “oni wa soto” (demons out), as temple lore tells us that no demon can stand before the goddess of mercy Kannon. Instead, participants chant “Senshu bansei! Fuku wa uchi!” which means “May you live for a thousand years! Good fortune in!” Try to time your visit so you don’t miss the temple’s performance of the Fukuju-no-mai, a dance dedicated to the Seven Lucky Gods.
② Zojoji Temple
Image Source: ZojojiTemple
At Zojoji Temple, Setsubun calls for the imposing Setsubun Tsuina Ceremony, which includes a procession in traditional kamishimo attire – the formal wear once worn by samurai. On stage, you can also catch a series of performances and other events like mochi pounding demonstrations, a fun Q&A session with the “oni”, and of course some classic mamemaki bean-throwing!
③ Yoyogi Hachimangu Shrine
Not far from Yoyogi park, the Yoyogi Hachimangu Shrine hosts a Setsubun Festival that features three rounds of bean-throwing, plus a special bonus round exclusively reserved for young children to participate. Additionally, on January 31, 2025, handmade mochi will be thrown along with the beans!
④ Kanda Myojin Shrine
Kanda Myojin’s famous Setsubun Tsuina Ceremony features some classic bean-throwing rituals, but at this shrine near Akihabara, the real highlight is the celebrity factor. Kanda Myojin is known for including famous Japanese celebrities in their Setsubun festivities!
⑤ Tokyo Tower
Image Source: TokyoTower
Setsubun celebrations aren’t just limited to Tokyo’s temples and shrines! Tokyo Tower is right next to Zojoji Temple, but it also hosts its own Setsubun Tsuina Ceremony with bean-throwing, and monks conduct a special purification ritual at a height of over 150 meters above the ground – something you’re not going to find anywhere else in the city!
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Kyoto flourished as the capital of Japan between the years 794 and 1100, becoming a center for poilitics and culture, and to this day it's a great place for close encounters with Japanese history. The cobbled streets of Gion, the atmospheric road to Kiyomizudera Temple, Kinkakuji's golden walls and countless historic attractions, even Arashiyama's Togetsukyo Bridge―Kyoto is a place of many attractions. With new charms to experience throughout the seasons, travelers can't stop themselves from returning again and again.
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NARA
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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OSAKA
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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CHUGOKU
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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