関西在住の外国人家族のための遊び場情報サイトです。
This website is to provide information about Kansai to foreign families.


NATIONAL HOLIDAY & EVENTS IN FEBRUARY.
●Feb. 11th Kenkokukinenbi (National Foundation Day)
 It was the New Year's Day of the first year of the Jimmu Enperor's reign in 660 BC.

Feb. 3rd *Setsubun 節分祭
It is the festival that drives away bad things and brings good luck. There are bean throwing ceremonies at some of the shrines. Japanese buy rolls of makizushi, eat them facing the decided direction of that year (N, S, W or E) & do not talk until they finish the whole roll so that good luck does not escape from their mouths. This tradition was started in the Kansai area after WWll. At home families throw beans outside while saying "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi." (Literally, bad luck out, good luck in.) Some families throw beans at one of the familiy members wearing a Oni mask inside their homes. After the bean throwing, each family members eats the number of beans of their age. Setsubun traditionally signifies the end of winter and the start of spring.

Feb. 3rd

Setsubunsai in Osaka

Ishikiri Shrine (Higashiosaka-shi)

TEL:0729-82-3621
At the shrine, you can eat zenzai (red beans & mochi).

Shitennoji Temple

TEL:06-6771-0066

Setsubunsai in Hyogo

Ikuta Shrine

TEL:078-321-3851
Singer Cindi Lauper also participated in this festival in 1996.

Minatogawa Shrine

Setsubunsai in Kyoto

Heian Shrine

They hold a traditional bean-throwing ceremony that was done during the Heian era.

Yasaka Shrine

Geisha and maiko perform and bean-throwing ceremonies are held.

Kitano Tenmangu

http://kitanotenmangu.or.jp/
A Kyogen play is held.

FushimiinariSshrine

TEL:075-641-7331

Rokuharamitsuji

TEL:075-561-6980

Shimogamo Shrine

http://www.shimogamo-jinja.or.jp/home/
TEL:075-781-0010

Setsubunsai in Nara

Kinbusenji

TEL:07463-2-8371

Kasuga Taisha Mandoro

The shrine has thousands of stone lanterns.
TEL:0742-22-7788

Saidaiji

TEL:0742-45-4700

Hasedera Temple

TEL:0744-47-7001

Toji

TEL:0742-22-5511

Feb. 6th

Onda Matsuri Asukamura in Nara

An O-tauesai rice-planting festival. Women dress in traditional costumes show us how rice planting used to be done.

Feb. 10th-13th

Radish Festival in Osaka

Sanzenin

TEL:075-744-2531
Warm radish dishes are distributed free of charge to those who visit the shrine.

The middle of Feb.

Nentosai in Kyoto

Kamigamo Shrine

http://www.kamigamojinja.jp/
TEL:075-780-0011
Kyoto Kita-ku
There a 4 small events dating back to the Heian era.

Feb. 23rd

Godairikisonninnoue in Kyoto

Daigoji

TEL:075-571-0002
There is a rally to lift large rice cakes. Women have to lift a rice cake of 90kg and men have to lift one of 150kg.

Plum blossom Viewing *Kyoto

Kitano Tenmangu 京都市北野天満宮

Feb. 25th
http://www.kitanotenmangu.or.jp/eigo/index.html
TEL:075-461-0005
About 2 000 plum trees bloom. Maiko can be seen participating in the festival.
Houbutsu-den is open to the public on the 25th every month.

Umemiya Shrine 梅宮大社

The middle of February-the middle of March
About 550 trees
TEL:075-861-2730

Nagaokatenmangu 長岡天満宮

http://www.nagaokatenmangu.or.jp/index.html
There is a tea ceremony when the plums are in bloom.
TEL:075-951-1025

Plum blossom Viewing *Osaka

Osaka Castle Park Plum Tree Festival 大阪城公園

About 1 200 trees.
TEL:06-6941-1144

Expo Park Plum Tree Festival 万博公園

http://www.expo70.or.jp/e/index.html
Suita
About 92 kinds such as 650 Beniume and white plum trees.
There are some events.
TEL:06-6877-7387

Nagai Botanical Park 長居植物園

http://www.ocpa.or.jp/n-syoku/
TEL:06-6696-7117

Domyoji Tenmangu 道明寺天満宮

http://www.ocpa.or.jp/n-syoku/
Fujiidera
The middle of February-the middle of March
There are about 800 plum trees blooming splendidly from February to March.
TEL:0729-53-2525

Hiraoka Shrine 枚岡神社

Higashiosaka
About 20 kinds of trees such as Beniume & white plum.
TEL:0729-81-4177

Plum blossom Viewing *Hyogo

Sumaurayamakamiyuen 須磨浦山上遊園

Suma-ku, Kobe
About 660 trees.
TEL:078-731-2520

Nakayamakannon 中山観音梅林

TEL:0797-87-0024

Bansyu Ayabe Bairin 播州綾部山梅林

25 000 trees
It is famous as the town of the plum tree.

Plum blossom Viewing *Nara

Tsukigase 月ケ瀬梅渓

Tukigase
About 16 000 trees.
It is known as a famous plum grove in Kansai.
Basho (Poet) also wrote a haiku about the beauty.

Plum blossom Viewing *Wakayama

Minabegawa village 南部川村

It is the number one place for plum trees in all of Japan.
One million trees
[ Minabe Umesihnkoukan ] There is a umeboshi museum.