Naritasan Setsubun-e: Bean Throwing with Sumo Wrestlers

On 3 February every year, Naritasan Shinshoji temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, holds Setsubun-e, the bean throwing rite that marks the eve of the traditional first day of spring. Prayers are offered for peace in the land, ease for its people, an abundant harvest and the turning of misfortune into good fortune, and lucky beans are then scattered from a temporary stage built in front of the Great Main Hall. Alongside the men born under the year's zodiac sign, sumo wrestlers and actors from the current NHK historical drama climb onto the stage. Thousands of hands go up as the beans arc through the cold February air. It is the busiest single day in the temple's year.

The Festival That Never Says "Demons Out"

What sets Naritasan apart is what the crowd shouts. Here the call is only "Fuku wa uchi", meaning "fortune, come in", repeated twice. The usual second half of the chant, which drives demons out, is never spoken. The explanation given at the temple is that the boundless compassion of Fudo Myoo, the principal image enshrined here, is such that even a demon repents in its presence, so there is nobody left to expel. The people packed below the stage know the story, and they send the words back with a grin each time the call goes up. Thousands of voices bounce off the wall of the Great Main Hall while the scattered beans catch the morning light and fall like gold. The mood is not one of driving something away but of opening the doors wide to good fortune.

The Special Ceremony and the Public Throws

Beans are thrown more than once during the day. The event that draws the largest crowds is the special tsuina bean throwing ceremony, held on the stage directly in front of the Great Main Hall at eleven in the morning, half past one and four in the afternoon. Sumo wrestlers appear in formal crested kimono rather than in the ring, and when a familiar television actor waves from the platform the ground in front becomes impassable. Separately, public bean throwing sessions in which ordinary participants take part are held at half past nine in the morning, half past twelve and three in the afternoon. In every case, a goma fire ritual is performed first, prayers for good fortune are offered before the image of Fudo Myoo, and only then does the procession move to the stage. Before and after the throwing, the goma flames rise in the Great Main Hall of Naritasan Shinshoji, and drums and chanted sutras roll out across the precinct.

The Goma Flames and the Winter Precinct

Setsubun-e is not only about throwing beans. The goma fire ritual is solemnly performed first, and prayers for good fortune are offered before the image of Fudo Myoo before the party heads for the stage. In the inner sanctuary of the Great Main Hall, goma sticks are burned while the priests' chanting and the drums layer over one another until the air inside the hall trembles. There is the rising flame and smoke, the smell of incense, the crack of splitting wood. This quiet, intense stretch of time, so unlike the spectacle of the bean throwing, is the foundation on which Setsubun-e rests. The winter air at Naritasan is clear, and the painted colours of the three-storey pagoda and the vermilion of the Nio gate look more vivid than usual. Walk the precinct in a lull between crowds and only the sound of the drums reaches you from beyond the trees, a reminder that Naritasan is, above all, a temple.

Tips for Visiting

The area in front of the Great Main Hall is at its most crowded during the special ceremony, and a wall of people forms a good hour before each session begins. If you do not insist on standing dead centre, a position slightly off to one side is often better both for catching beans and for photographs. Anyone who simply wants to come away with beans might aim for one of the less crowded public sessions instead. Early February in Narita is genuinely cold, and the stone paving of the precinct pulls the warmth out of your feet, so thick socks and gloves make a real difference. Stepping away between sessions for something hot from the shops along the approach is a sensible way to pass the time. Tip for travellers: if you have small children with you, watch from a little distance rather than from directly in front of the stage, where the pushing and shoving is worst.

Getting There

From either JR Narita Station on the Narita Line or Keisei Narita Station, it is about fifteen minutes on foot down the approach road to the temple's main gate. On the day itself, worshippers arrive from early morning and the approach is busy for most of the day, so allow extra time. Nearby car parks fill early, and arriving by train is much the safer plan. To reach the stage in front of the Great Main Hall, pass through the main gate and the Nio gate and climb the broad stone steps. The steps are where the flow of people bunches up, so watch your footing and take them slowly.

Practical Information

• Date: 3 February every year
• Venue: Temporary stage in front of the Great Main Hall, Naritasan Shinshoji (Narita 1, Narita City, Chiba)
• Special tsuina bean throwing ceremony: 11:00, 13:30 and 16:00
• Public bean throwing: 9:30, 12:30 and 15:00
• Access: About 15 minutes on foot from Narita Station on the JR Narita Line or Keisei Narita Station
• Participants: Men born under the year's zodiac sign, plus sumo wrestlers and cast members of the current NHK historical drama
• Official website: https://www.naritasan.or.jp/

* Dates, details and prices are subject to change. Please check the official website before you go.

(Sources: Naritasan Shinshoji Temple official website, Narita City Tourist Association official website)