Setsubun: Japan’s Bean-Throwing Festival to Banish Evil
If you find yourself in Japan in early February, you might witness a peculiar sight: adults wearing ogre masks running away from children throwing roasted soybeans at them. This isn’t a playground game, but one of Japan’s most spirited traditional events known as Setsubun. Held annually on February 3rd (sometimes the 2nd or 4th depending on the lunar cycle), Setsubun is a loud, joyous, and deeply symbolic ritual designed to cleanse away the previous year’s bad luck and welcome the coming spring with good fortune.
For travelers, it offers a fascinating glimpse into how modern Japan maintains its ancient spiritual connection to the seasons.
The Origins of Setsubun
The word Setsubun literally translates to “seasonal division.” In the old lunar calendar, it marked the day before the beginning of a new season. While there used to be four Setsubun days a year (one for each season), the one preceding spring—Risshun—was considered the most significant, effectively acting as a New Year’s Eve.
The rituals associated with Setsubun have roots in a Chinese custom called Tsuina, introduced to Japan in the 8th century. Ancient people believed that at the junction of seasons, the spiritual barrier between the human world and the spirit world thinned, making communities vulnerable to evil spirits and illness. To protect the household and the village, rituals were performed to drive these malevolent forces away before the new farming season began.
The Legend of the Oni
Central to Setsubun imagery is the Oni, typically depicted as a fearsome ogre or demon with horns, wild hair, and tiger-skin loincloths. In Japanese folklore, the Oni represents bad luck, disease, and disaster.
Why Soybeans?
The weapon of choice against these demons is the humble soybean. According to legend, an evil spirit once inhabited the Saddle Mountain (Kurama) in Kyoto. A deity instructed the humans to throw roasted soybeans at the demon’s eyes to blind it. The word for beans (mame) sounds similar to the word for “demon eyes” (ma-me), and throwing them (mamemaki) sounds like “destroying demons” (mametsu).
Thus, roasted soybeans—known as fuku-mame or “fortune beans”—became the holy ammunition believed to possess the vitality of the harvest and the power to purify.
Modern Culture and Rituals
Today, Setsubun is celebrated in households, schools, and temples across Japan. The atmosphere is less about fear and more about family bonding and community fun.
Mamemaki (Bean Throwing)
The core event is Mamemaki. Usually, the father of the household (or a male born in the current zodiac year) puts on an Oni mask to play the villain. The rest of the family throws beans at him while shouting the famous chant:
“Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (Demons out! Luck in!)
Once the “demon” is chased out the door, the door is slammed shut to prevent re-entry. Afterward, it is customary to eat the number of roasted beans corresponding to your age (plus one more for good luck in the coming year).
Ehomaki: The Lucky Sushi Roll
While bean throwing is a national tradition, another custom has exploded in popularity recently: Ehomaki. Originating from the Osaka area, this is a thick uncut sushi roll containing seven ingredients (representing the Seven Lucky Gods).
Tradition dictates that you must eat the entire roll in silence while facing the year’s “lucky direction” (eho), determined by the zodiac. Breaking silence or cutting the roll is said to sever your luck. Walking into a convenience store in February, you will see shelves stocked with these massive sushi rolls, a testament to the commercial success of this superstition.
Traveler’s Tips for Setsubun
If you are visiting Japan during this time, participating in Setsubun is a must-do activity. Here is how to make the most of it:
- Visit Major Temples: The most spectacular events happen at large temples. Senso-ji in Tokyo and Naritasan Shinshoji in Chiba are famous for hosting massive crowds where celebrities and sumo wrestlers throw beans (and prizes) from stages to the audience. Be prepared for a scrum; people get very competitive catching the lucky beans!
- Buy a Mask: Every convenience store (Konbini) sells Setsubun sets that include a small bag of roasted beans and a paper Oni mask. It makes for a great, inexpensive souvenir.
- Check the Lucky Direction: If you buy an Ehomaki roll, the packaging will usually indicate the compass direction for that specific year. Use your phone’s compass app to align yourself correctly before eating.
- Watch for Decorations: Look for hiiragi iwashi decorations at house entrances—a holly branch with a sardine head stuck on it. The sharp thorns and smelly fish are meant to repel demons.
Sources & Further Reading
To understand the deeper spiritual context of Japanese demons and purification rituals, the following historical texts and resources are recommended:
- The Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters): For background on Shinto deities and the concept of purification (harae).
- The Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan): Contains early references to court rituals that influenced seasonal festivals.
- Engishiki: A 10th-century book of laws and regulations that details the Tsuina rituals performed in the Heian court.
Setsubun is a vivid reminder that in Japan, the spiritual world is never far away, and sometimes, all it takes to fix your luck is a handful of beans and a loud shout.