Shrine maidens drive off Setsubun ogres in parkour and off-road racing chase www.japantrends.com

The native Japanese religion of Shinto might well be an ancient faith, but it’s rarely concerned about violating a “sacred” image. People eat and drink at shrines. And now two miko shrine maidens have teamed up with Toyo Tires for a brilliantly original seasonal commercial.

In the lunar calendar, Japan has just passed the festival of Setsubun, which celebrates the start of spring with visits from “ogres” that children are meant to drive away by throwing beans at them. Along with graduation ceremonies and the university entrance exams, it’s one of the hallmarks of the late winter and early spring in Japan.