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