Setsubun Setsubun ("seasonal division") Is a fesitival in Japan celebrating the beginning of spring. It's held on 3 or 4 of February which isone day before the beginning of spring according to Japanese lunar calendar. This day was to chase away the evil spirits from the winter. This holiday is not very popular anymore although some people still decorate their houses with holy tree leaves and fish heads. In the 13th century it was a popular custom, people belived that the smell of burning trees and the sound of
g. Tobata Gion) that are mostly unknown outside a given prefecture. It is commonly said that you will always find a festival somewhere in Japan. Matsuri is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan, festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular. There is no specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as Setsubun or Obon. Almost every locale has at least one matsuri in late summer/early autumn, usually related to the rice harvest. Notable matsuri often feature processions which may include elaborate floats. Preparation for these processions is usually organized at the level of neighborhoods, or machi. Prior to these, the local kami may be ritually installed in mikoshi and paraded through the streets. One can always find in the vicinity of a matsuri booths selling souvenirs and food such as
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