Gojoten Jinja (五条天神社) is a Shinto shrine located in Ueno Park, Tokyo.
On Setsubun Day (February 3), many Shinto shrines and major Buddhist temples hold a bean throwing event called mame-maki to drive off evil spirits and invite good spirits. This bean throwing event is often accompanied by a little drama.
Gojoten Shrine also hold a ritual named the Ukera-no-shinji (うけらの神事), which is composed of a little drama, and a bean- throwing event after that (3pm-4pm).
Ukera-no-shinji
The ceremony begins at around 3pm. First, a Shinto priest offers a norito prayer at the makeshift stage set up in front of the main shrine building. After that, the drama begins.
Hososhi, a deity who has four golden eyes and guards the shrine, pretend to shoot arrows to four directions to calm the land. (Pretending is probably just for safety. Real arrows were shot back in the old days, I guess.)
Then, the head priest (pretend to) shoots arrows to drive off evil spirits and illnesses. This part of the ritual is called hikime-shiki.
Two oni (evil spirits) appear at the entrance of the shrine and head for the stage.
Hososhi wrestles with two oni at the stage to prevent them from proceeding further.
Another priest (not professional - the representative of the people who live in the area the shrine divinities protects) appears and have a conversation with two oni.
On hearing the greatness of the gods, two oni run away.
All the while the play is going on, okera (Atractylodes japonica - ukera is an old name for this plant) is being burnt in the main building. Okera is a kind of herb which is said to have a magical power to avoid illness. (Okera is also used as an edible wild plant.) In this ritual, okera is burnt to suppress the evil spirits.
At the end, mame-maki (bean throwing) chanting "go away oni" takes place.
Many Shinto shrines and major Buddhist temples hold similar events on this day, but the drama part of the one practiced at this shrine is said to be retaining an old form.
After the event, you can buy ukera-mochi for several hundred yen. This is a set of mochi (rice cake) and okera (herb). It is said that if you grill and eat this mochi while burning the okera, you can avoid being sick for a whole year.