Setsubun
by Yoko Hideyoshi
Click on the mask to learn more about Oni
Masked devils roaming the streets, pursued by children pelting them with beans! Sumo wrestlers and priests throwing packets of money and sweets to a wild crowd of celebrants! Fish-heads and holly twigs, lucky sushi rolls and spring sunshine! No, the world hasn't gone crazy. It's the annual celebration of Setsubun in Japan.
Setsu means "seasonal division" and it refers to the eve of any of the 24 divisions of the solar year. (see The Lunar Calendar in Japan and the Japanese lunisolar calendar for more details.) The Setsu of Setsubun (Feb 3 or 4) is followed by Risshun, which means "becoming spring" - the first day of the new season. This Setsu is celebrated as the symbol of Toshi Koshi ("Year Passing") and Jyo Jitsu ('accepting the old year'); in other words, it marks the completion of a 24 part solar year. Setsubun is like New Year's Eve. Between the last part of January (Daikan) and Risshun is the coldest time of year. After Risshun, the days are noticably longer, sunlight is brighter and the first signs of spring appear.
There is a special ritual for this day to cleanse anything evil left over from the previous year and ward off any evil spirits for the coming year. This ritual is called Mamemaki. The traditional customs of this day go back to the Ming Dynasty in China. The Japanese first celebrated Setsubun in the Muromachi Era (1392-1573). This was a time in Japanese history when there was a lot of political upheaval but many of the customs still associated with Japan, such as the tea ceremony, developed during that era.
Mamemaki is usually performed by the Toshi Otoko ("year man") of the house. He is the male born in whatever animal year is the new year or else the male head of household. Inimame (soybeans) are heated in a pan and the Toshi Otoko scatters them in the doorway of each room or throws them at someone representing a demon, wearing an Oni mask. As the beans are tossed the Toshi Otoko shouts, "Oni was soto! Fuku wa uchi!" which means "Get out, Ogre! Come in, Happiness!" or "Devils outside, good luck inside!"
There are many of variations on this chant. In the city of Aizuwakamatsu, people chant "Oni no medama buttsubuse!" (Oni's eyeballs - smash, smash!) Afterwards, family members scoop up a certain number of the scattered soybeans to eat, one for each year of their life plus one more for good luck in the new year. Nowadays children make a game of this, some in masks, others throwing the beans, chasing each other around and yelling out the chant for good luck in the new year. Sometimes peanuts, raw or coated in a sweet, crunchy batter, are used instead of soybeans.
There are different stories about how this bean-throwing started. In the Heian era, a famous Buddhist monk was said to have driven away oni by throwing beans. There is another story that an ogre in disguise visited an old widow. He had a magic hammer and used it to make a lovely kimono. It was so beautiful that the old woman just had to have it! She planned to steal not only the kimono but the magical mallet too, by getting the ogre drunk. The ogre was so outraged by the widow's greed that he dropped his disguise. The widow, shocked by the ogre's appearance, threw whatever she could get her hands on, which happened to be some beans. The ogre fled in a hail of beans, taking the kimono and mallet with him but leaving the widow luckily alive and well - and perhaps a little wiser.
All over Japan, celebrations take place at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Priests and special guests throw roasted soy beans, some wrapped in gold or silver foil, to crowds of people eagerly waiting to catch the good-luck tokens. They also throw out small packets with money, sweets, candies or other gifts, resulting in a mad scramble for these prizes. At the larger celebrations, sumo wrestlers and other celebrities, designated as honorary Toshi-Otoko, take part in televised broadcast of Setsubun events. Recently, the honorary Toshi-Otoko have included some Japanese actresses and other female celebrities, but they are called Toshi Onna (Year-Women).
Another Setsubun custom is to eat an uncut Nori Maki (sushi roll) on Setsubun without saying a word, while facing the yearly lucky compass direction. The lucky direction depends on the zodiac symbol for the year. Zodiac charts are often included in the packages of sushi roll. In some areas, the Nori Maki has a seven-colored stuffing to represent the seven gods of happiness. The practice of eating maki-zushi on Setsubun originated in the Kansai area of Japan but has recently become popular all over the country by way of grocery chain-store marketing.
After the Oni have been cast out, Japanese families decorate their doorways with a small charm made of dried iwashi (a fish that resembles a sardine), garlic cloves, onions and twigs of hiiragi (holly) to keep the bad spirits from returning. The legend goes that when Oni try to eat the fish, the sharp holly leaves poke them in the eye and they run away.
May the New Year bring you all good luck and a peaceful household!
Sources:
Oni
Risshun
Wikipedia
"Setsubun in Japan: A Lunar New Year's Eve" by Steve Renshaw and Saori Ihara
Photo of Setsubun 2006 in Kobe courtesty of Wikipedia
Oni mask courtesy of Kikuko
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Featured February 21 , 2007
