Ichogaoka Hachiman Shrine Spring Bean-Throwing Ceremony

The Ichogaoka Hachiman Shrine Spring Bean-Throwing Ceremony is an annual February 3 festival marking the start of spring. In the investigation, its location near Asakusabashi Bridge turns a seasonal observance into a possible source of photographic evidence about Hiromi Asai.

Date and Setting

The ceremony is held each year on February 3 at Ichogaoka Hachiman Shrine, which Kyoichiro Kaga identifies as being close to Asakusabashi Bridge. The festival’s fixed date and setting give the detectives a specific occasion to investigate rather than an indefinite stretch of time.

Role in the Investigation

Kaga uses a tablet to show Shuhei Matsumiya a poster for the ceremony, then explains that he has found a few photographs from the event. Matsumiya recognizes Asakusabashi as the bridge associated with February in their search and asks whether Kaga is looking for Hiromi Asai in the pictures. Kaga confirms that he is, though he has not been able to obtain many photographs. The ceremony matters to the inquiry not as a scene of public celebration, but as a potential visual record that might place Hiromi at a particular bridge on a particular date.

Evidence and Limits

The photographs offer a lead, not a confirmed identification: Kaga says there are few images, and the exchange does not establish that Hiromi appears in them. The festival therefore connects the detectives’ calendar-based search with the practical limits of available records. Its recurrence supplies a precise annual occasion, while the scarcity of photographs leaves the question open.