【Partners Information】Every year around February 3rd, Setsubun festivities mark the eve of spring in the Japanese lunar calendar, with wishes for a happy and healthy life. A favoured custom during this annual festival is "Mamemaki", wherein people throw roasted soybeans outside their houses while shouting "Oni wa soto!" (meaning "Demons out!") and then throwing more beans inside with the phrase "Fuku wa uchi!" (meaning "Good luck in!").
Learn more about traditional customs of Setsubun at https://www.tsunagujapan.com/setsubun-ehomaki-guide/
In Fukuoka city, Kushida shrine has it's own unique Setsubun custom to bring luck to its visitors. Revered for “Okushida-sama”, the god of immortality and success in business, Kushida shrine erects a 5-metre tall Otafukumen ("face of Otafuku"), the largest in Japan, specifically for Setsubun. The smiling face of the Otafuku lady is believed to bring luck to visitors who walk through her mouth, but she only lasts from the end of January until early February.
Discover Kushida shrine at https://visit-fukuoka-japan.com/todo/other_spots/4000000000369/
