Kanpuku-ji Temple’s Setsubun Ceremony

Kanpuku-ji Temple belongs to the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism and is a famous temple in Hokusō. It is regarded as one of the three great evil-warding daishi temples in Japan, along with Kawasaki Daishi and Nishiarai Daishi, and the principal object of worship is bodhisattva Aryavalokitesvara, the guardian Buddha of Taira no Masakado. The temple treasures consist of four copper round plaques carrying the image of Shakyamuni, Eleven-Faced Avalokitesvara, Ksitigarbha, and Bhaisajyaguru. All of these plaques are nationally designated as Important Cultural Properties. Kanpuku-ji Temple is also home to the grave of Inoh Tadataka, the man who created the first map of Japan using actual measurements.

The Setsubun Festival, also known as the Bean-Throwing Festival, begins at 2:30 PM with a 40 minute Buddhist memorial service. About a dozen monks take turns chanting the 600 volumes of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, and a ritual dedicating a consecrated fire to the evil-warding Kōbō Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, takes place. After this, the monks chant while hitting Japanese taiko drums in front of the main hall. At around 3:30 PM, young boys and monks scatter lucky beans and lucky money.