The Great Setsubun Festival at the tutelary shrine of Hakata, Kushida Shrine. 

Featuring three giant Otafuku Mask entrances in preparation for the main event!

Every year, many spectators and revelers come to witness the Setsubun ceremony at Kushida Shrine. 

For those who don’t know, Setsubun is a festival that commemorates the last day of winter in the traditional Japanese calendar, usually falling on February 3 or 4. For this reason it is seen as a time for renewal, and an opportunity to get one’s upcoming year off to a good start. The ritual of throwing beans is meant to represent the act of throwing out the old year in order to welcome in the new. 

As part of the festivities, humorous 5-meter tall masks of a woman called an Otafukumen have been set up at the Roumon, Kitashinmon, and Minamishinmon gates. 

Every year respected and famous Fukuokans and Hakatans take to the stage set up for the occasion and scatter beans and gifts about, bringing in droves of people looking to join the festivities. Additionally, it is said that those caught by either the red or blue demons wandering about the shrine grounds will be purified of evil spirits going into the new year!

Featuring special guests from the Kabuki NEXT Hakata-za Kabuki Play “The Demon that Lives in Oboro Forest”!

To make this year’s mamemaki even more special, actors from the Kabuki NEXT play “The Demon Dwelling in Oboro Forest” (to be staged from February 4th, 2025 (Tue) ~ February 25th, 2025 (Tue)) will be coming to Kushida Shrine’s Setsubun celebrations (*Around 10:00 in the morning).

{Setsubun Eve Festival}
February 2nd, 2025 (Sunday) 

・11:00: Luck Welcoming Ceremony (Great Otafuku Mask Purification and passage allowed through the masks)
・17:00, 18:00: Setsubun Eve Ceremony (Onikagura dedication)

[Great Setsubun Ceremony]
February 3rd, 2025 (Monday) 

・9:00: Ceremony begin
・10:00 ~ 16:00 (every 30 minutes): Mamemaki (bean throwing) *At 10:00 the Hakata-za actors will participate in the mame-maki. 
・10:00 ~ 18:00 : Yaku-yoke Kaiun Prayer Festival: Prayer festival for general visitors to ward off bad luck (lucky beans, fukuyose, fuku-masu, and other lucky charms will be awarded *only for those who have undergone exorcisms to pray for good luck).

[Great Otafuku Masks]

Giant Otafuku masks will appear in three directions at the Roumon Gate, Kitashinmon Gate, and Minamishinmon Gate!
January 15th, 2025 (Wed) ~ February 16th, 2025 (Sun)

Queries
Kushida Shrine (10:00~17:00) TEL:092-291-2951
*For information on the “Mamemaki (bean throwing) by the cast of Hakataza February Performance Kabuki NEXT ‘The Demon Dwelling in Oboro Forest’, please contact Hakataza Theater (092-263-5555).