As we are getting to closer to the start of February, the festival day of Setsubun is almost upon us at Michi No Eki Aso.
Be careful on February the 3rd for flying soybeans being thrown all over the place in an attempt to banish demons and purge the surroundings of bad fortune and disease.
Many people in Japan believe misfortune is a direct consequence of the presence of demons or Oni as they are called in Japanese.
Roasted soybeans are thrown as a way to ward off these Oni as the soybeans are thought to have the power to destroy evil.
This is quite similar to the way in Western traditions garlic is used to ward off evil and as an effective weapon against vampires.
This belief originates from ancient China as soybeans were designated as one of the most powerful and important crops believed to contain the power and spirits of all other crops combined.
Also the word for bean in Japan is Mame, which although having a different kanji character, has the same pronunciation as the kanji character for destroy evil.
On this day, it is also popular in many areas of Japan to eat Ehou Maki, a larger than normal sized sushi roll made with ingredients thought to bring good luck. The direction you face while eating the sushi roll is important and you are supposed to consume the entire roll in total silence.
The Ehou Maki sushi roll will be available to purchase on the 3rd of February from here at Michi No Eki Aso if you wish to take part in this good luck tradition.
All the best for 2024 and I hope to see you on February 3rd.
Oliver
