Shimokitazawa Tengu Festival

Shimokitazawa Tengu Festival is a novel variation on the Setsubun theme, centering around Shinryuji Temple with a small parade through the shopping streets of Shimokitazawa. The parade members are dressed as mountain priests or tengu, legendary creatures with avian characteristics, and throw beans as they go for good luck.

The Shimokitazawa Tengu Festival is a result of the Doryodaisatta (a tengu) enshrined at Shinryuji Temple for protection. Although traditionally bird-faced, over the course of time the beaks of these tengu have transformed to the point where now they are often depicted with unnaturally long noses, like a evil-looking Pinocchio.

Another unique feature of the festival is that instead of the typical cries of “Demons get out!” (鬼は外), the calls heard at Shinryuji Temple are “Luck come in!” (福は内), the belief being that luck would do the job of driving out the demons, anyway.