Feb 04 (NHK) - A Buddhist temple near Tokyo held its annual bean-throwing ceremony on Thursday, the last day of winter in the traditional Japanese calendar. The ritual is performed to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck.
Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo and several sumo wrestlers took part in the "setsubun" event at Naritasan Shinshoji temple in Chiba Prefecture. Standing on a stage in front of the main hall, they threw beans toward the well-wishers.
The event was scaled back for a second year due to the pandemic. The beans were thrown for about a minute instead of five as in previous years, and only a quarter of the usual amount was used.
A limited number of visitors were allowed to view the ceremony as a preventive measure against the coronavirus.
A man in his 60s says he took every anti-COVID precaution he could and he didn't use public transport to get to the temple. He says he prayed for an early end to the pandemic.
Source: ANNnewsCH
