On February 3rd, Setsubun Day, it is customary to throw beans in the house, saying “Oni-wa-soto, Fuku-wa-uchi” to exorcise evil things.

Setsubun is the day before the beginning of the next season in the lunar calendar, but now it refers only to February 3rd. It used to be the day for the ritual to ward off evil spirits that tend to appear at the change of seasons. The typical ritual was “Tsuina,” performed in the imperial court during ancient times to get rid of Oni monsters.
Oni appears in many folklores as an evil creature that causes diseases and disasters. Oni has one or two horns on its head and wears tiger-striped shorts. Beans, mostly soybeans, are used to drive away Oni because they are said to have great spiritual power. The Japanese word “Mame” for bean has the connotation of destroying evil (“魔滅”).

In some cases, someone in the family takes on the role of Oni by wearing a mask depicting Oni, and the other members throw beans at the Oni. However, not having an Oni and just throwing beans is the normal procedure. In any case, when you throw the beans, you are supposed to say “Oni-wa-soto, Fuku-wa-uchi,” meaning “Oni out, Blessings in.”
After throwing the beans, you should pick up the beans from the floor and eat a number equal to your age.
Some families place a sardine head stuck with a twig of holly at the entrance on this day. Oni is said to hate the smell of sardines and the pointy leaves of holly.

Also, on that day, it is customary to eat one sushi roll while facing the year’s best luck direction, “Ehou.” This sushi roll is called “Ehomaki.”
