Tokyo Tama Tourist Site

At 「Takaosan Yakuoin」, located on Mt. Takao—an immensely popular area designated as a 「World Heritage Site」 in 2020—the 「Setsubun-e Tsuina Ceremony」 is held on Setsubun, the day before the beginning of spring. This traditional rite is performed to pray for personal safety, business prosperity, auspicious relationships, and protection from misfortune with the hope of good fortune. The 「Tsuina Ceremony」 refers to the ritual of driving away demons on Setsubun, in other words, the custom of throwing beans. At 「Takaosan Yakuoin」, bean-throwing events are held six times throughout the day, from morning to afternoon.

What Is the 「Takaosan Yakuoin Setsubun-e Tsuina Ceremony」

The greatest highlight of the 「Takaosan Yakuoin Setsubun-e Tsuina Ceremony」 is that, each year, celebrities, professional sumo wrestlers, Hachioji geisha, and performers of Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo puppetry take part in the bean throwing. Hachioji flourished as a textile town, and with the active flow of people and goods, a lively geisha district known as the 「Nakamachi area」 existed from the Taisho era until shortly after World War II. Today, recreations of 「geisha houses」 and a 「nostalgic streetscape」 preserve the atmosphere of those days, making the area a popular tourist destination.

Hachioji is also home to a traditional performing art devised in the Edo period known as 「Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo」, a form of puppet theater in which puppets are skillfully manipulated while seated on a box that stores a wheeled mechanism called a 「rokuro-guruma」. This art form continues to be preserved and performed by members of 「Nishikawa Koryuza」 and was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Reiwa 4 (2022). The sight of such distinguished guests as 「Hachioji Geisha」 and 「Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo」 performers throwing beans together is truly splendid and festive.

「Mt. Takao」 is known as a sacred mountain deeply associated with 「Tengu」 belief. Tengu, legendary beings said to possess supernatural powers, are depicted with red faces and long noses and have long been revered and feared as protectors of the mountains. On Mt. Takao, Tengu are deified as attendants of the principal deity, Iizuna Daigongen. According to the Yakuoin website, the mountain ascetics engaged in rigorous training are often likened to Tengu.

As you climb Mt. Takao, you will encounter many Tengu-related sights, including statues of the 「Great Tengu」 with a long nose and a fan in hand. The smaller Tengu, with beak-like mouths resembling crows and swords at the ready, are also known as 「Crow Tengu」.

Souvenirs themed around Tengu abound, including Tengu-yaki sweets, tenugui hand towels illustrated with red and blue Tengu, and black sweetened beans whimsically named 「Tengu-sama’s Navel Lint」. As a New Year’s good-luck charm, Tengu fans are sold exclusively from New Year’s Day through Setsubun.

When visiting 「Takaosan Yakuoin」, visitors are kindly asked to do so with a respectful and reverent attitude.

Event Period	February 3
Address	2390 Takaomachi, Hachioji City, Tokyo
Website	https://www.takaosan.or.jp/
Access	From Kiyotaki Station, a 3-minute walk from Keio Line Takaosanguchi Station, take the cable car or lift. After getting off, walk approximately 20–30 minutes.
Discover more about the Tama region	https://at-tama.tokyo/lang_en/ Photos courtesy of Takako Shigegaki