1/29/2007

The Japanese Lantern Festival and the Chinese Lantern festival have a lot in common it seems. Both have their Lantern festivals in February and August – to mark the arrival of Spring. In Japan, the lantern festival or Setsubun Mantoro, is a celebration where more than 3,000 lanterns in the precincts are lit up three days a year, namely on February 3rd and August 14th-15th, between 18:30 and 21:00, to welcome the spring season. The event is usually held at shrines around Japan. A example place to go would be Kasuga Taisha Shrine where this tradition have been held every year for almost 800 years.

People usually light a lantern to represent their wishes.

There are many types of lanterns, which you can see in this event but usually a rice paper lantern is used. Every year, this festival never fails to amaze anyone who comes to visit as the sea of lighted lanters is definitely a sight to behold.

February 3rd marks the transition from winter to spring known as Setsubun, when beans, good luck charms and a votive picture of a horse, which are items for securing a long life, are sold from early morning.

And since beans are for good luck and fortune, the Japanese would usually throw them around their houses this time of the year to usher in good fortune and cast out misfortunes.

In modern days, the most commonly performed setsubun ritual is the throwing of roasted beans around one’s house and at temples and shrines across the country. When throwing the beans, you are supposed to shout “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (”Devils out, happiness in”). Afterwards you should pick up and eat the number of beans, which corresponds to your age.

Source: JNTO, Japan Guide