Setsubun Festival at Kamakura-gu Shrine (鎌倉宮 節分祭)

What Is the Setsubun Festival at Kamakura-gu Shrine?

The Setsubun Festival (節分祭) at Kamakura-gu Shrine (鎌倉宮) is held on Setsubun (節分), the day before Risshun (立春), the first day of spring in the old calendar, to drive away the year’s misfortune and invite good luck. At this shrine in Nikaido (二階堂), dedicated to Prince Morinaga (護良親王), a ceremony in the Honden (本殿), or main sanctuary, is followed by the Oni-yarai Shinji (鬼やらい神事), a ritual to drive out demons, at the Haiden (拝殿), or worship hall. Finally, fukumame (福豆), or lucky beans, are thrown from a special stage on the shrine grounds.

Date and Time

The festival takes place on Setsubun, and in years when Setsubun falls on February 2, it is held on February 2. In a typical year, the Setsubun ceremony begins in the Honden at 15:00, the Oni-yarai Shinji starts at the Haiden around 15:20, and the bean-throwing from the special stage starts around 15:40.

Highlights: The Oni-yarai Ritual of Bells and Drums, and Bean-Throwing from the Stage

The Oni-yarai Shinji drives away demons, meaning misfortune, with the loud sound of bells and drums, and beans are also thrown from the Haiden during this ritual. In the bean-throwing that follows, toshi-otoko and toshi-onna (年男・年女), men and women born in the year’s zodiac sign, and fuku-otoko and fuku-onna (福男・福女), the “lucky men and women,” line up on the special stage wearing eboshi (烏帽子), traditional court caps, and throw lucky beans to the visitors gathered below. In some years, celebrities and sumo wrestlers join as guests.

Some of the lucky beans come with a winning mark, and if you pick one up, you receive a prize. In a typical year, fukumono (福物), small lucky gifts, are given to those who come to pray.

Visiting Tips

People start gathering around 15:00, about 30 minutes before the bean-throwing, and once it begins, the crowd reaches out eagerly to catch the lucky beans. The festival is busy with local residents and has the feel of a neighborhood Setsubun event.

In some years, the shrine office takes advance reservations from people who want to throw beans on the stage, and a participation fee is required. Kamakura-gu Shrine has no parking lot for visitors.

Access: Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place

From the East Exit of JR Kamakura Station (鎌倉駅), take a Keikyu Bus (京急バス) bound for Kamakura-gu (大塔宮) to the last stop; the shrine is right there. It is about a 25-minute walk from Kamakura Station. From Toshi’s Place, take the Enoden (江ノ電) line to Kamakura Station and transfer to the bus.

On the same day, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮) holds its own Setsubun Festival from 13:00, and the bean-throwing at Kamakura-gu begins around 15:40, so you can visit both shrines’ festivals one after the other. At Toshi’s Place, fully unstaffed smart hotels with full kitchens and no meals provided, you can explore Kamakura on Setsubun at your own pace.

Summary

On Setsubun at Kamakura-gu Shrine, a ceremony in the Honden and the Oni-yarai ritual at the Haiden, which drives away misfortune with bells and drums, are followed by lucky beans, some with winning marks, thrown from a special stage. We also recommend combining your visit with the Setsubun Festival at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and the Setsubun-e at Hasedera Temple on the same day. The shrine also holds the Monthly First-Day Rite on the 1st of every month. For the shrine’s usual highlights, see Kamakura-gu Shrine.

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