On Air: Fukuoka Sightseeing Tips/2012.2.20(Mon)/15:45～ 

               猿田彦神社・厄除祈願の祭事「初庚申」

福岡市の中心街天神から福岡市地下鉄で約１０分の場所にある藤崎（ふじさき）。

藤崎駅からすぐの場所には、
木々に囲まれた「猿田彦（さるたひこ）神社」があります。

猿田彦神社で毎年、最初の“庚申（こうしん）”の日に行われるのが
厄除祈願の祭事「初庚申（はつこうしん）」です。

“庚申”とは、「十干（じっかん）」、「十二支（じゅうにし）」の組み合わせのひとつで、「十干」の“庚(かのえ)”と 「十二支」の“申(さる)”の組み合わせ。
２０１２年の初庚申は、 ２月２９日・水曜日です。

この日は、夜明け前の朝早くから厄除けの「赤い猿面」を求める人で
猿田彦神社はいっぱいになります。

「サル」は、「過ぎ去る」という意味の“去る”に通じるとして「災いが去る」「幸福が訪れる」と、この猿のお面を玄関にかける習わしがあり、翌年に、境内に戻して厄を祓います。

開催日時は２月２９日・水曜日の午前５時３０分から。
場所は福岡市営地下鉄・藤崎バスターミナルのすぐそばにある「猿田彦神社」。
当日までのお問い合わせは「紅葉八幡宮（もみじはちまんぐう）」
電話０９２-８２１-２０４９。
２９日当日は「猿田彦神社」電話０９２-８２３-００８９までどうぞ。

早起きして、ぜひ「猿面」を手に入れてください。

財団法人 福岡観光コンベンションビューローは観光客や様々なコンベンションの誘致、
またそのための広報活動・調査・企画及び主催者への支援活動等を通じて、福岡市の振興を図ることを目的として活動しています。
場所は、福岡市中央区 福岡市役所北別館１階。
電話092-733-5050。みなさん、お気軽にお問い合わせ下さい。

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On Air: Fukuoka Sightseeing Tips/2012.2.23(Thu)/15:45～

              Festival for warding off evil at Sarutahiko Shrine

If you take the subway from downtown Tenjin shopping area in Fukuoka, it will take you just 10 minutes to arrive at the Fujisaki Subway Station. There, right near the station you will find the Sarutahiko Shrine, surrounded by trees.

The Hatsukoushin Festival for warding off evil takes place at Sarutahiko Shrine every year on the first koushin day of the year. This rite came to Japan from China, and is rooted in the Chinese zodiac calendar. It was assimilated into Japanese culture long ago.

The word koushin comes from the combination of two Chinese characters that represent different dates in the Chinese calendar system. The first character is kanoe, and represents one zodiac time in the Chinese Jikkan counting system. The second is read saru, and represents an alternate zodiac time in the Chinese Jyunishi counting system. When these two different zodiac times align on the calendar, the characters representing them are combined and read “Koushin”. The first time these two symbols align on the calendar in 2012 will be on Wednesday, February 29^th.

On this day, from early in the morning in the hours before dawn, Sarutahiko Shrine fills up with people looking to get a red monkey mask to ward off evil. It’s really a play on words. “Saru” meaning monkey, also means “to pass” or “leave” when written with alternate characters. So, in regard to this event, it means “passing of evil and entrance of good fortune.” Customarily, the monkey masks are hung in the entrance of a house, expelling evil for the year. Then, the following year observers of this ritual return to the grounds of the shrine and perform purification rituals with the mask to keep their lives free from evil and misfortune for another year.

The event will take place on Wednesday, February 29^th from 5:30 in the morning at Sarutahiko Shrine, located near the Fukuoka City Subway Fujisaki Bus Terminal building. For information prior to February 29th, please contact Momiji Hachiman-gu by phone at 092-821-2049.

If calling on the 29^th, contact Sarutahiko Shrine directly at 092-823-0089.

Get up early and get your hands on a monkey mask!

In addition to offering tourism services, the Fukuoka Convention and Visitors Bureau seeks to serve Fukuoka City by providing an array of other services, such as research, planning, promotion and assistance with conventions for sponsoring clients. The Fukuoka Convention and Visitors Bureau is located on the first floor of the Fukuoka City Hall North Annex. Feel free to contact the bureau anytime!

You can do so by phone at 092-733-5050.

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