Feb3! Tokyo Setsubun soybean scattering Ehomaki hand roll sushi

Take a ride on Tokyo's only remaining tram. Head for Sugamo while viewing the retro houses along the tracks.

Take a break at cozy Japanese style tea shop, savor famous "Ohagi" Japanese sweet rice ball.
They have kept the traditional taste for three generations and still insists on serving them the same way and with the same taste as the first generation. The large, not-too-sweet, old-fashioned "Ohagi" are freshly made every day.
You can choose your favorite flavor from azuki bean paste, Maccha green tea, white bean paste, soybean flour, or black sesame.

Enjoy the freshly made "Ohagi" made by an old lady in a retro atmosphere!

Koshinzuka is a place to worship a Taoist god introduced from China, but here at Sugamo Koshinzuka, an ancient Japanese god named Sarutahiko is also enshrined together.
Listen to the guide talk about the Koshin beliefs and the myth of Sarutahiko, who guided the gods of heaven when they came down to earth.

Discover the Sugamo Jizodori Street, a theme park where you can enjoy nostalgic Japanese daily life. Feel Japanese traditions and culture by eating snacks in a local shopping street.

Located in the northern part of Tokyo, Sugamo is a local town famous for its Jizodori Shopping Street, that stretches more than 1-kilometer-long and is a home to two temples and two shrines, which attract people's worship. Once called “Grandma's Harajuku,” the Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street is home to all kinds of stores and is always bustling with people of all ages, not only the elderly but also families and young people.
Here you will also find stores specializing in local specialties run by local university students as part of their classes. They return to their hometowns after graduation to contribute to the development of the local economy.

The most famous thing in Koganji is Arai Kannon.
There is a stone statue of Kannon, goddess of Mercy, in the temple grounds, and it is believed that washing your bad parts will bring you health.

Unlike other temples, this temple does not have a lively bean-throwing ceremony. Setsubun is held as a Buddhist ritual in a solemn atmosphere, with monks beating drums and chanting prayers to ward off evil. The worshippers quietly throw the beans, saying that fortune is in.

It is also a custom to eat all the ehomaki rolls at once, facing the direction of the year in order to bring good luck. Not a single word may be spoken until the meal is finished. Ehomaki is a type of hand-rolled sushi with various ingredients such as tuna, salmon, beef or salad.

You may be surprised to see a large Jizo Bosatsu statue enshrined in a temple at the entrance of a shopping street. This is one of 6 Edo Rokujizoson, a guardian deity for travelers built at six entrances and exits in Edo (former name of Tokyo) between 1708 and 1720.
Let's pray for the safety of all travelers!

Behind this temple, there is another separate temple, where Fukuju Kannon and Fudo Myoo are enshrined.
Kannon is a merciful Buddha who removes people's suffering and listens to their requests. Fudo Myoo is said to be “Shiva,” the Hindu deity of destruction and creation that originated in India, and is believed to bring blessings such as the banishment of troubles, personal safety, prosperous business, health, and academic achievement.