Tsuina/Origin

Origin
There are many shrines which traditionally hold a "festival to drive away evil spirits" (tsuina sai) before or after setsubun. A bean pounding ceremony is held on January 7 at Sumiyoshi Jinja in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. On the evening of that day, the tsuina (demon exorcism) takes place at the main shrine as well as at the sessha (auxiliary shrines) and as far as the massha (branch shrines) with the scattering of soybeans roasted in oak leaves (oni uchi mame). The offering of daily ochikaranogozen, begun on New Year's Day, also ends on that day. Branches of Chinese arborvitae (konotegashiwa, konotekashiwa) and taranoki (Devil's walking stick) are placed on all of the buildings within the shrine precincts (keidai). A tsuina sai is also held on January 2 at Samukawa Jinja in Samukawa Town, Kōza County, Kanagawa Prefecture. Ceremonial activities begin at 8 p.m. All lights are extinguished, and people wearing helmets and armed with swords and clubs (kanateki) advance to the haiden, where each person beats a "demon-exorcising board" (tsuina ita) with a club several hundred times. They then proceed outside the shrine's main gate (shinmon) where they sprinkle salt water to the east and west; this is called kiyosaki. It is followed by the recitation of the "enumeration of treasures" (hōmotsu kazoe). The priests then enter the shinmon, beat drums, circle the honden three times and offer formal prayers (hairei), after which the lights are illuminated. At the end, one hundred twenty-eight Amenokagu bows made from willow and one hundred twenty-eight Amenohaha arrows made from cogon grass (kaya) are distributed to the worshippers.