Description
Setsubun is the most important spring festival nationwide. It is a mixture of ritual ceremony and fun in which demons of the past year are exorcised. Devils, conspicuous by their red faces, horns and big noses are chased away by people throwing roasted soy beans and chanting 'Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi' (Out with the demons, in with the good luck). The festival at Heian Shrine includes a host of events, such as Noh and kyogen (comic plays), bean throwing, and a giant bonfire. There are also stalls selling snacks, drinks and souvenirs.