Kyoto Festival: Bad Luck Exorcism at Heian Shrine (Setsubun-sai)

Setsubun, the day before spring, is celebrated on February 3rd each year. Heian Shrine is one of many sites in Kyoto that holds an event on this day. The festival begins in the inner sanctum, where priests perform rites. A recreation of the Heian period Daina no Gi ritual is held in the courtyard. This ritual was held at the Imperial Palace to cleanse misfortune. The ritual begins with an invocation before the altars. A warrior fires arrows in the cardinal directions to erect a sacred barrier. Another warri