Do you know the ceremony ‘Setsubun’? Setsubun is the 3rd day of Feb. This day is the New Year’s Eve in our old calendar in Japan. We believe that the evil Demons might come to our world from north east. Setsubun ceremony means the blocking the demon with the throwing beans to Demons.
Today I met my guests at a hotel in Yokohama. We moved to Kyoto with Shinkansen train, took lunch and visited to Yasaka shrine. There was the ceremony for Setsubun, ‘Mamemaki’ throwing beans!
(Dance of Maiko girls on the stage)
On the stage, Maiko girls showed the dance. After that, the throwing beans started.
(Start to throw beans!)
Maiko girls and some people threw the packs of beans from the stage, we battled to catch the beans packs. I got 4 packs, my guests got 3 packs each. It was a kind of victory! On the pack there were characters “Fukumame”, it means “Happy beans”. So we got many happiness!
(Beans package “Fukumame”)
After the ceremony, we visited to a temple and Japanese tea cafe. Then, moved to the dinner place. It was Ochaya, our dinner was with Maiko girl.
(Dinner with Maiko girl)
At the Setsubun ceremony we could see Maiko girls, but of course we couldn’t talk to them, just only saw from far away. But at the dinner we could talk to her within a short distance, face to face. Food was so special Japanese cuisine, so delicious.
(Setsubun special dish. There are soy beans, sardine, Hiiragi leaves and red demon face!)
(Maiko dance Gion Kouta)
And that was Setsubun, so some food were special dishes just for the day, the hair charm accessories were also special for Setsubun. We could watch the Maiko dance in front of us. After the dinner we took pictures with her. It was an expensive one, but special and awesome experience. My guests might be totally satisfied.
(These hair charms were just for 3 days)
(My guests family took a picture with Maiko girl after the dinner)
(*If you want to book the dinner like this page, please click it and book there!)
