Setsubun（節分）

JAPANESE FOODS

25.02.2025

Among the many traditional holidays that Japan has, Setsubun might be one of the lesser known. So let’s have a look at the origin of this holiday and which food is involved in celebrating this day.
 

What is Setsubun?

Setsubun (節分) literally means ‘seasonal division’ and marks the end of winter, as it is held on the 3rd of February. The day after Setsubun is called ‘Risshun（立春）’, the first day of spring, according to the ancient calendar. On Setsubun, people all over Japan eat ‘ehomaki’ and perform ‘mame maki’, a ritual to cleanse the house and drive away evil.

Ehomaki 

Simply said, an ehomaki is a long sushi roll. Eating it in silence is said to bring good luck. It shouldn’t be cut or left unfinished and is simply eaten while holding it with your hands. In addition, it should be eaten while facing the ‘lucky direction’ of that year. For 2025, the lucky direction is west-southwest. The lucky direction is usually announced in December of the previous year and is determined according to the ancient Lunar calendar. Around this time, shops will also start taking reservations for their ehomaki. Although it can also be made at home, many people will order ehomaki in advance from small shops, supermarkets or department stores. While it was first a famous tradition only in Osaka, Seven-Eleven started selling ehomaki in other regions from 1989. Eventually other convenience stores and supermarkets started selling them and by the early 2000’s this custom was spread all over Japan.
 Although an ehomaki can have many different ingredients and there are no rules regarding this, popular ingredients are: eel, shiitake mushrooms, omelette, shrimp, and cucumber. This then gets rolled into rice and seaweed. It’s common to use seven different ingredients, representing the Seven Gods of Fortune, who in Japan are known to bring different types of good luck.

Bean Throwing Ritual

Another tradition during Setsubun, is ‘make maki’. This is a ritual to purify one’s home by driving away bad luck and evil spirits. To perform this ritual, a family member will wear a mask or even a costume of an ‘oni’ which is a demon. Other family members will then throw beans at the ‘oni’ and shout “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” which means “Demons outside, Luck inside!”. Even without an oni, you can throw these beans outside the door, to get rid of demons and bad luck. Of course, a special ritual like this, needs special beans. These are roasted soybeans and are called ‘fuku mame’, meaning “fortune beans”.
Even though Setsubun has passed, you can still celebrate it at home and invite good luck into your life. Why not embrace the tradition and refresh your spirit with some simple rituals? Try these rituals at home and pray for good luck and fortune while enjoying a delicious ehomaki.