Setsubun is a traditional event to drive away evil spirits and welcome good fortune. It takes place on the eve of Risshun, the first day of spring, which falls on February 2 in 2025. People throw roasted soybeans (fukumame) while chanting “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (“Demons out, good fortune in”). This ritual is believed to drive away evil spirits and invite good luck. Participants also eat a number of soybeans matching their age to pray for health and prosperity. While families often perform bean-throwing at home, temples and shrines host Setsubun-sai festivals, which feature ceremonial rituals and large-scale bean-throwing events to ward off misfortune.
In this event, demons and mystical creatures are depicted as harbingers of misfortune, whereas Otafuku is embraced as a symbol of happiness. The celebration of Setsubun varies with each region and religious institution. Most temples and shrines offer free admission for spectators and participants in bean collecting. Additionally, Setsubun-themed sets, complete with beans and masks of demons and Otafuku, become available in supermarkets. There’s also a custom in some areas to silently eat Ehomaki, a special sushi roll, facing the year’s auspicious direction (west-southwest for 2025), while making a wish.
Through Fukuoka Now, we’re excited to showcase the Setsubun festivities at 11 esteemed temples and shrines across Fukuoka. An invitation to embark on a journey for fortune — will you join us?
▷Fukuoka Setsubun Guide 2025 Google Map
Temples and shrines conducting Setsubun festivals in Fukuoka Prefecture
• Hakata-ku, Fukuoka (Kushida Shrine, Tochoji Temple, Sumiyoshi Shrine)
• Sawara-ku, Fukuoka (Momiji Hachimangu Shrine)
• Higashi-ku, Fukuoka (Hakozaki Shrine, Kashii Shrine)
• Nishi-ku, Fukuoka (Washio Atago Shrine, Iimori Shrine)
• Around Fukuoka City (Munakata Taisha Shrine, Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Daihonzan Naritasan Kurume Temple)
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
Kushida Shrine
Affectionately known to the people of Hakata as ‘Okushida-san’, Kushida Shrine stands as the revered protector of the region. It welcomes worshippers with the largest Otafuku mask in Japan, a symbol of joy and good fortune. It’s commonly held that walking through the expansive mouth of this mask grants blessings of thriving business and domestic tranquility. A highlight at the shrine on February 3rd is the vibrant bean-throwing ritual. On this day, individuals representing the current zodiac year take center stage in a special setup, joyfully casting beans to the gathered crowd, perpetuating a deeply-rooted tradition that symbolizes the warding off of misfortune and the welcoming of good luck.
• 2/3 (Mon.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 10:00~16:00 (every 30 min.)
• Otafuku gate: There is one on-site
• 1-41 Kamikawabata-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
Tochoji Temple
Experience the grandeur of the Setsubun Festival at Tochoji Temple, the heart of Fukuoka’s oldest and most vibrant celebration of this cherished tradition. Conducted hourly, the festival unfolds as a mesmerizing display of hope and jubilation, drawing crowds together in anticipation of prosperity and good fortune.
With each chime of the hour, the festival atmosphere electrifies. Participants are engulfed in a wave of excitement, anticipating the ritualistic cascade of beans, rice cakes, mandarin oranges, sweets, and more. The air resonates with the energetic chants of “Fuku wa Uchi! Oni wa Soto!” (Fortune in, demons out!), a powerful symbol of dispelling negativity and inviting in abundance and well-being.
The festival’s pinnacle is on February 3rd, when the auspicious presence of the Shichifukujin, or the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, elevates the event. This day is particularly fortuitous, attracting throngs of people eager to engage in the revelry and gather the bountiful offerings. Catching these items is believed to usher in luck, setting the stage for a year brimming with blessings.
Join us at Tochoji Temple for this age-old celebration. Embrace the festive spirit of Setsubun, share in the collective hopes for fortune, and immerse yourself in the cultural splendor of this enduring festival.
Photograph provided by Fukuoka City
• 2/2 (Sun.), 2/3 (Mon.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 10:00~16:00 approximately every 1 hour
• Otafuku gate: None
• 2-4 Gokusho-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
• https://www.tochoji.net/
Sumiyoshi Shrine Setsubun Festival
The Sumiyoshi Shrine in Hakata, distinguished as the most venerable among Japan’s 2,129 Sumiyoshi Shrines, is a testament to Japan’s rich spiritual heritage. Recognized as a national important cultural property, it epitomizes the ‘Sumiyoshi-zukuri,’ the most ancient architectural style in the annals of Japanese shrine architecture. The shrine’s allure is further enhanced by its Noh theater, a tangible cultural asset accredited by Fukuoka City, adding layers to its historical allure.
On the cusp of Risshun, the traditional onset of spring, the Sumiyoshi Shrine celebrates Setsubun with the ‘Tsui-na Ceremony.’ This ceremony is a profound rite for driving away misfortune and beckoning good fortune. The ritual, steeped in the belief of protecting against epidemics, is characterized by the symbolic use of ‘peach bows’ and ‘reed arrows.’ The festivities reach their zenith in the Kagura-den with an exuberant bean-throwing ceremony, encapsulating a deeply revered celebration of renewal and safeguarding traditions.
• 2/2 (Sun.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 11:00~16:00 (every hour)
• Otafuku gate: None
• 3-1-51 Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
• https://www.nihondaiichisumiyoshigu.jp/
Kyushu Live – Setsubun at Sumiyoshi Shrine 2023 (Feb. 2, 2023)
Sawara-ku, Fukuoka
Momiji Hachimangu Shrine
Momiji Hachimangu, a sanctuary revered for its deities of safe childbirth and exorcism, historically played a pivotal role in conducting prayers during the critical years of the Fukuoka feudal lords. On Setsubun day, the shrine welcomes visitors for general rituals aimed at averting misfortune, with a nominal initial offering of ¥5,000. After these prayers, attendees are given a unique chance to ascend the stage and partake in the vibrant bean-throwing tradition. An additional charming feature of the event is the opportunity to encounter and snap memorable photos with the ‘demons’ meandering throughout the shrine’s precincts.
• 2/2 (Sun.)
• Prayer for warding off bad luck: 10:00~16:30 (every 30 minutes, registration: 10 minutes before each session)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 11:00~, 12:00~, 15:00~, 16:00~
• Otafuku gate: None
• 1-26-55 Takatori, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka
• https://momijihachimangu.or.jp/202501082214/
Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
Hakozaki Shrine
Hakozaki Shrine, located along Hakata Bay, features an impressive approach stretching approximately 850 meters from its grand Ichinotorii gate to the main hall. The shrine is renowned for hosting traditional Hakata festivals, including the Tamatori Matsuri and the Hōjōya, one of Hakata’s three major festivals. On February 3 at 10 a.m., local children from Hakozaki Elementary School perform a mamemaki (bean-throwing) ceremony. Additionally, fukumame (lucky beans) are available for visitors at the shrine’s amulet distribution area.
• 2/3 (Mon.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 10:00~ *bean-throwing will be held about three times
• Otafuku gate: None
• 1-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
• https://www.hakozakigu.or.jp/index.html
Kashii Shrine
Kashii Shrine, with a storied history dating back to 200 AD, is believed to have been established by Empress Jingu in honor of her late husband, Emperor Chūai. This venerable site stands as a testament to ancient traditions and enduring memories. Among its many celebrated customs, the Setsubun festival stands out. This vibrant festival invites participants, including those born under the zodiac sign of the year and local community members, to engage in ‘mamemaki’, an age-old ritual of scattering beans. This ritual symbolizes the banishing of malevolent spirits and the ushering in of prosperity and good fortune. Adding an element of excitement to the event, some bean bags contain lottery tickets, offering an array of prizes like rice and auspicious items. This unique feature attracts a multitude of visitors, all keen to try their luck and collect these beans of fortune.
Related Article: Kashii-gu: A Shrine with Close Ties to the Imperial Court
• 2/2 (Sun.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 13:00~, 16:00~
• Otafuku gate: There is one on-site
• 4-16-1 Kashii, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
• https://kashiigu.com/shinji-gyoji/
Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
Washio Atago Shrine
Atago Shrine, renowned as a beacon of spiritual energy in Fukuoka, hosts the grand Setsubun Festival on Setsubun Day with great fervor. The celebration begins with the ‘Star Festival Ritual’ held in the main shrine, a ceremonious event focused on dispelling misfortune and nurturing familial harmony. This is followed by the jubilant ‘Fuku-mame Maki’ ceremony, a highlight of the festival where shrine maidens and priests enthusiastically scatter beans and sweets to the gathered crowd. Among these are the coveted silver beans, symbols of family safety, and the golden beans, harbingers of business success and prosperity.
• 2/2 (Sun.)
• Star festival ritual and mamemaki (bean throwing): 11:00~
• Otafuku gate: None
• 2-7-1 Atago, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
• https://atagojinja.com/
Iimori Shrine
Iimori Shrine, established in 1786, is home to cultural treasures such as its main hall and stone komainu (guardian lion-dogs), which are designated as prefectural and municipal cultural assets. On Setsubun Day, mamemaki (bean-throwing) ceremonies are held at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Visitors can also participate in a misfortune-warding prayer (yakuyoke kigan, ¥1,000), after which they receive a box of fukumame (lucky beans) containing a lottery ticket that can be exchanged for auspicious items or home appliances. Adding to the excitement, demons descend from the mountain and lightly tap visitors with bamboo rods, a ritual believed to grant a year of good health and safety.
• 2/2 (Sun.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 11:00~, 19:00~
• Otafuku gate: There is one on-site
• 609 Iimori, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
• http://www.iimorijinja.jp/2setubun.files/h040203setu.htm
Around Fukuoka City
Munakata Taisha Shrine
Munakata Taisha, revered as one of the oldest shrines in Japanese mythology and distinguished as a World Cultural Heritage site, celebrates Setsubun with a ceremonial bean-throwing ritual, an ancient practice believed to banish diseases and calamities. Unique to this festival, some of the beans scattered to the eager crowds carry special prizes, encapsulating the rich gifts from Munakata’s bountiful seas and lush mountains.
• 2/2 (Sun.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 11:30~
• Otafuku gate: None
• 2331 Tashima, Munakata City, Fukuoka
• https://munakata-taisha.or.jp/hetsu_saiji.html
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Embracing the spirit of Setsubun, the traditional day signifying the seasonal transition, the “Setsubun Yakuyoke Kigan Taisai” (Setsubun Evil-Warding Prayer Grand Festival) is a vibrant testament to cultural heritage and spiritual wellbeing. During this auspicious period, attendees are invited to partake in the ritualistic offerings of sacred Fukuuchiwa fans and Setsubun lucky beans, each imbued with the power to banish misfortunes and summon prosperity. The pinnacle of the festival is the ceremonial bean-throwing event held on Setsubun, a symbolic act designed to repel evil spirits and usher in a wave of good luck, encapsulating the essence of hope and renewal.
• Setsubun Misfortune-Averting Prayer Grand Festival: 1/26 (Sun) ~ 2/28 (Fri.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 2/3 (Mon.) around 11:00~ and 14:00~
• Otafuku gate: There is one on-site
• 4-7-1 Saifu, Dazaifu City, Fukuoka
• https://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/omatsuri/setsubun-yakuyoke
Daihonzan Naritasan Kurume Temple
The renowned Naritasan Kurume Temple, famed for its majestic Bodhisattva statue, is endearingly known to locals as ‘Narita-san’. On Setsubun, the temple becomes a hub of spiritual activity with the ‘ O-Goma-Ku’, a significant ritual dedicated to attracting good luck and repelling misfortune. A highlight of this festival is the spirited distribution of around 20,000 bags of fortune beans by men and women representing the zodiac year. These aren’t ordinary beans – each bag holds a lottery ticket, giving participants a chance to win an array of prizes ranging from modern electrical gadgets to essential household goods. At Naritasan’s mamemaki (bean-throwing ceremony), only the phrase “Fuku wa uchi” (“Good fortune in”) is chanted repeatedly. This tradition is based on the legend that the Fudō Myōō deity can even reform demons.
• 2/2 (Sun.)
• Mamemaki (bean throwing): 11:00~ (after o-goma-ku)
• Otafuku gate: There is one on-site
• 1386-22 Kamitsu-machi, Kurume City, Fukuoka
• https://www.kurume-naritasan.or.jp/event/
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NOTE: Please note that the information provided in this article has been carefully compiled and summarized by the team at Fukuoka Now. We have diligently worked to verify the accuracy of this content, however, there may be some inadvertent errors, and details might have changed over time. If you encounter any discrepancies or updates, we warmly invite you to contact us. This report was last updated in January 2025.