Healing Setsubun Devil Exorcists at Nagata Shrine in Kobe

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Setsubun at Nagata Shrine in Kobe. Setsubun is a spring exorcism ritual on February 3rd which used to be on the old Chinese New Year's Eve. Bad luck in the form of devils (oni) are driven away with a handful of tossed beans. At Nagata Shrine though the oni are actually the good guys and they drive away evil with fire and sword.



The men who are to perform the ceremony prepare themselves with fasting and purification rituals such as misogi. Misogi is plunging into cold water to cleanse one's self body and soul.

Tsuina Shiki or Oniyari is the exorcism ritual to drive away evil and disaster. Nagata Shrine is unique in that oni perform the ritual. This particular ritual is believed to be over 500 years old.



These two particular oni are known for their healing properties. They will touch their temples then lay their hands on a person to heal them and protect them.

 Sickness is part of the evil that oni drive away. In olden days sicknesses was just as much a matter of luck and magic that any kind of protection was sought after from amulets to mystical ceremonies. A number of Japanese religious structures and festivals have their origins in attempts to appease the gods in order to end epidemics.


































Location: 3-chōme-1-1 Nagatachō, Nagata-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 653-0812, Japan

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