| DATE: | February 2-4, 2007 | |
| PLACE: | Yoshida Shrine, 30 Kaguraoka-cho Yoshida Sakyo-ku, Kyoto |
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| DIRECTION: | Keihan Train to Demachiyanagi Station or City Bus #206 to Kyodai Seimon-mae | |
| TEL: | 81-75-771-3788 | |
| ADMISSION: | Free | |
| TEXT: | Dedicated to the deities Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto, Ihainushi-no-Mikoto, Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto and Himegami, Yoshida Shrine is a venerable shrine that dates back to 859 when Fujiwara Yamakage enshrined the deities at Mt. Yoshida as tutelary deities of Kyoto. The shrine’s Setsubun Festival takes place in the Daigen-gu hall for the three days around Setsubun. The main ceremonies are: Ekijin Festival to appease Ekijin, the deity of epidemics (starts at 8:00 on February 2); Tuina-shiki, or Oniyarai, a traditional ceremony to drive away demons (starts at 18:00 on February 2); and Karo Festival, in which a sacred bonfire is built to pray for sound health and good luck in the coming year (starts at 23:00 on February 3). The festival attracts some one million visitors annually from across Japan. At the front of the shrine, bags of fukumame (lucky beans) to protect against bad luck are sold for 200 yen. Some contain lucky lottery tickets. |