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.
