Japan Niigata prefecture travel tourism guide - Enjoy Niigata

The Hokkeshu-sohonzan Honjo-ji Temple Setsubun Oni Dance is a melee of red, blue, yellow, green, and black oni, or Japanese demons, running amok with saws, axes, and knives in the main temple grounds. At the end, boys and girls born in a year with the same Chinese Zodiac sign as the current year repel the oni by throwing beans at them and yelling “fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto” or “in with luck, out with demons,” a tradition which is across Japan on Setsubun to pray for peace and safety. In the somber atmosphere of the temple grounds, you can fully feel the impact of the reverberating cries of the oni and their destructive rampage.