Setsubun and Mame-Maki Bean Options 2012

February 3 is setsubun, the day the season changes from winter to spring. Beans are thrown to scare away bad spirits and invite good ones into the house. Masks are also included with a bag of beans. These are bags of beans sold with a small plastic mask. Click on the photo to enlarge it. There is a link at the end of this post for more information about setsubun.

This is a display at a cake shop in Foris at Isetan a department store in Fuchu.

These were other options in the grocery store section of Isetan. One year, I bought a set like the ones in the basket at the bottom right of the photo. Click here to see what it was like.

This year I bought this little box of beans. The box is called a masu and is usually made of wood. This one is made out of cardboard. No one wears a mask around here anymore. Click on the labels below to see other posts about setsubun and bean throwing.

Kids Web Japan--Setsubun and Bean Throwing

Mame for Setsubun

This is a bag of mame (pronounced mah-may). In Japan, February 3rd is setsubun and people throw beans, mame-maki. Click on the labels below for past posts and links to more information about setsubun.

Kids Web Japan-- setsubun

Throwing Beans

Today is setsubun. People throw roasted soybeans out the front door and then into the house. This is called mame-maki. Peanuts in shells are sold, too. We threw peanuts one year. We shelled and ate them after we threw them. Masks are sold with the soybeans or peanuts. This year no one wore a mask. Check the labels and links below for more information and more posts. This one tells what we used to do when Big Sister and Little Brother were younger.

This is Baba's entry hall after mame-maki.

Kids Web Japan-- Setsubun

Setsubun and Mame-maki

Today was setsubun. Some people put a dried fish and a sprig of holly near their entrance. The smell of the fish and the possibility of being poked by the holly will keep bad spirits or bad luck away from the entrance. People throw roasted soybeans out the entrance to get rid of bad spirits and then throw beans inside the entrance for good luck to come inside. Read about setsubun and mame-maki on Kids Web Japan by clicking on the link below. Also read last year's entry.


Kids Web Japan--Setsubun & Mame-maki

Setsubun

Displays of soybeans appear in stores near the middle or end of January for Most of the soybeans are in packages like the one on the right. There were free masks near them. Dried soybeans are thrown outside the entrance to scare oni or bad spirits away.

This is what our family does:

We throw beans outside the entrance and say "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" or "Bad spirits out, Good luck in". We do it three times. Jiji used to jump into the doorway wearing the mask when we opened the door. He would try to dodge the beans as we threw them at him. After he passed away, I was the oni! We now just throw the beans outside.

After the fun of throwing them out the door, we throw beans inside the entry hall and say it again. We do that three times, too. Baba throws beans out some of the windows, too. From the leftovers, we eat the number that corresponds to our age. In other words, if you're ten years old, you eat ten beans. This bean throwing custom is called mame-maki.

On the left is a package of soybean stems. There is a mask inside. Some people buy these to put near the entrance. Oni don't like soybeans because people throw them at them. Supposedly, they will stay away when they see these stems at the door. Those green leaves are pointed, too, and will poke the eyes of the oni. Another reason for them to stay away.

Kids Web Japan-- setsubun.