Setsubun
(mame-maki / parched soybeans throwing)

One day before the first day of spring in the lunar calendar
Around February 3 (2 or 3 or 4)

Mamemaki (in Oosu-Kannon)
Mamemaki (parched soybeans throwing ) takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m..
Around 3 o'clock , a goblin parade will arrive in Osu-kannon
and perform a short story of Setsubun.
***

Arako-Kannon, Kasadera-Kannon, Jimokuji-Kannon and Ryusen-ji
These 4 temples are called "Owari-shi-Kannon/ Four representative temples in the Owari region which enshrine Kannons"
(Kannon is a Goddess of Mercy.)
They are build on the direction of guards of Nagoya Castle, which settled by Yin and Yang..
For the Setsubun Day of each year, they are roated as a luckey direction temple

Originally Setsubun was the day before the first day of each season in the lunar calendar,
but today it more commonly refers to the day before Risshun* or the first day of spring.
In the present calendar it falls on February 3rd, 4th, or 5th.
Because of this, people stll write geishun ( welcome spring) etc. on new years cards.

*In old days, there was a way of thinking that
formerly the new year starts on this day.

Setsubun has been celebrated in many ways, but Mame-maki,
scattering parched soybeans, is the most common custom throughout Japan.
On the evening of Setsubun, the head of the family or
toshi-otoko (men who were born in a year with same sign
of the Chinese zodiac as the current year/the Cock for the year 2005)
throw parched soybeans inside and outside the house
to summon good luck and drive away demons as they repeat the saying,
"Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi."
In a home, sometimes someone takes on the role of demon
and enjoys the ritual-like games such as running around to escape.
After the ritual of throwing parched soybeans, family members gather up them
and eat a number of them equalling their age, because eating
these brings assurance of good health in the comming year.
.

In shrines and temples the Setsubun ritual is also held on a much bigger scale.
Toshi-otoko and toshi-onna ( women of that year's zodiac sign) are invited to throw beans.
Movie stars, baseball players, kabuki players, sumo wrestlers and other popular people are
also invited to the ritual in some temples or shrines.
This is because mamemaki is a very popular event throughout Japan.


In some areas, people fix a branch of a holly, on which is stuck
a head of grilled sardine, to the door to drive out demon spirits.
The combination of the needle-like leaves of the holly branches
and the strong smell of the sardines helps in driving demon spirits away, too.




In some areas, it is customary to eat whole rolled sushi facing
the lucky direction called Eho without saying anything.
Recently this custom is becoming popular little by little because the nori (sea laver) organizations
support it as a business opportunity





Oni wa soto !!! Fuku wa uchi !!!