FUKUOKA -- With the setsubun festival approaching on Saturday, a large mask of an otafuku (a round-faced woman with a flat nose) has been installed at Kushidajinja shrine in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka.
Made with wooden frames and Japanese washi paper, the 5.3-meter high, 5-meter wide mask is set up at the romon gate of the shrine every year. It is said to bring good luck in such things as family safety and business prosperity if worshippers pass through the large mouth of the mask when they visit the shrine.
The mask is made of three parts: the head, eyes and mouth. Yearly maintenance includes adding new pieces of paper and painting the mask.
On Thursday, about 30 people -- the shrine's priests and local residents with ties to the shrine -- gathered around the gate and combined the three parts into one huge mask to set it up at the gate.
On Saturday, traditional bean-scattering ceremonies are scheduled about every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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