Celebrities big and small turned out at shrines and other venues across the country to throw beans. The “mamemaki” (bean throwing) ceremony is the central part of the annual Setsubun festival that marks the spring equinox in the traditional Japanese calendar. One of the common traditions is to throw dried soybeans at “oni” or demons to drive out bad fortune (“oni wa soto!”) and invite in good luck for the year ahead (“fuku wa uchi!”). Though it isn’t a national holiday, big crowds turn out every year to see celebrities perform the mamemaki ceremony.
Among yesterday’s events were: actress Ueno Juri (24) and Chiba Prefectural governor Morita Kensaku were at the Narita-san Shinshoji temple, east of Tokyo. Ueno is the star of this year’s taiga historical drama series on NHK; enka veteran Kitajima Saburo (74, photo center, profile) and members of the “Kitajima Family” were at the on Takao-san Yakuoin temple in the western suburbs of Tokyo. Kitajima, who is celebrating 50 years in showbiz, also performed his new single; and kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro (64) was at the Misonoza theater in Nagoya, where he will start his final series of appearances from tomorrow. He no doubt wants to put memories of last year behind him, with his health problems and his son, kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo, caught up in an assault case scandal.