Setsubun

[thomas]

Annual "Bean Scattering" Held At Narita Temple

The annual "Bean Scattering" ritual was held at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Chiba Prefecture Monday to mark "setsubun", the day before the first day of spring according to the lunar calendar.

At this year's "Bean Scattering" ritual held Monday at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, celebrities and sumo wrestlers tossed beans while yelling, "Out with the ogre! In with the happiness!" SOUND BITE: "Oniwa soto! Fukuwa uchi! (Out with the ogre! In with the happiness!)" At Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, the event has taken place continuously since the Edo era. This year, popular sumo wrestlers, including new Yokozuna Asashoryu, Yokozuna Musashimaru and Ozeki Chiyotaikai, performed the "Bean Scattering". Many actors also appeared, including kabuki performers Ichikawa Danjuro and his son Shinnosuke, whose hereditary stage title of "Naritaya" is related to the temple. The celebrities tossed soybeans and peanuts timed to the shouts of the crowd. Customarily, the beans are scattered by people born in the years of the current Oriental zodiac sign, who pray for world peace, happiness and good health for the year. This year at the temple, 250 people scattered the lucky beans. The event was to be repeated twice in the afternoon.



=> http://news.tbs.co.jp/headline/tbs_h...e-e693090.html

More info on setsubun

=> http://www.japanlink.co.jp/ka/nenc2.htm

=> http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2285.html