Setsubun (Bean Throwing day)

Since I had no plans for the day, I decided I would go for a jog (I’ve been running every other day for the last week and a half, I’m on a roll!)

I don’t particularly like jogging because I don’t like the fact that people stare. I try to ignore the drivers twisting their necks back to get a better look at me as they drive by….

Having jogged for 20 minutes non-stop during the PE class, I now know that I can at least manage that before having to stop. So, I tried for 25 minutes, and made it!

While jogging over the bridge, yet another car with a twisted-neck-back-driver went by. I noticed that it pulled over up ahead. When I reached it, a man called out ‘can you help me?’ (in Japanese). We ended up chatted for a while, It was a great opportunity to practice my Japanese…!

February 3rd is Setsubun in Japan. What is Setsubun? It’s a day when people throw beans out of their houses to drive the evil spirit away and beckon the good luck that year.

Many people celebrate Setsubun at home. Usually the oldest man in the family will dress up as a demon and the rest of the family members throw beans to the demon saying ‘oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi! (Evil is out, good luck is within!)

Many will congregate at shrines where selected people will be allowed to go on the stage a fling bags of beans into crowds of people, all hoping to catch one. Catching one would assure them of good luck for the year.

Generally, people born in that particular astrological year (There are 12 different animals in the Chinese zodiac signs, this is the year of the boar) are allowed to throw beans at the shrine.

The head priest at Aso jinja (shrine) near my school happens to be friends with one of the teachers at my school (and his son was a graduate). So, I was given special permission to participate in the bean throwing ceremony!

There was a fire right outside the shrine being fed by all the previous years good luck charms.

There were 7 ‘bean throwers’. Before we were brought on stage, there was a short ‘cleansing’ ceremony. First, we were each dressed in a hakama.

This was followed by the head priest waking up the Gods by banging on a taiko drum and chanting each of our names and address while seated in front of the altar. Then we all bowed while he shook what looked like a broom overtop of all our heads.

Finally, we were each given a small box full of beans and were asked to throw the beans towards the altar while chanting ‘oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!. When that was done, a professional photographer took a group picture of this year's 'bean throwers' with the priest.

Having finished, we made our way to the stage.

This was not a very large shrine, but the area in front of the stage was jam packed with people. Once we were on the stage, the host lady who asked each of us to introduce ourselves. I spotted many Seiryo students in the crowd. Finally, it was bean throwing time!

As we were walking off the stage, 3 of us were asked by a TV crew if it was all right to have a short interview.

We all headed back to the inside of the jinja (shrine) where we took off the hakamas. Before leaving, we were each handed a bag full of gifts.

There was a festive atmostphere around the jinja (shrine), with many stalls selling food, raffles, games, etc..I ran into many Seiryo students.

It was an interesting evening!