Why millions of Japanese people throw beans at demons every February

Cultures · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Setsubun is an ancient Japanese tradition designed to purge the home of bad luck and evil spirits before spring. By scattering roasted soybeans and shouting for demons to leave, families perform a ritualistic reset. From sushi rolls to sardine heads, the customs are as varied as they are symbolic.

Setsubun, meaning 'seasonal division,' marks the day before the first day of spring in the traditional Japanese calendar. While its roots trace back to the 8th-century Chinese custom of tsuina—an imperial court ritual intended to ward off disease and misfortune using clay figures and peach branches—the modern practice evolved significantly during the Muromachi period (1336–1573). It was then that the act of mamemaki, or bean scattering, became central to the observance.

The ritual is rooted in a 10th-century legend where a monk allegedly blinded demons with roasted beans. Linguistically, the word for bean, mame, sounds similar to terms meaning 'to destroy the devil.' During mamemaki, a household member—traditionally a man born in the corresponding zodiac year—scatters roasted soybeans while shouting, 'Devils out! Fortune in!' The beans are believed to purify the home, and participants often eat one bean for each year of their life, plus one extra for good luck.

Beyond beans, regional traditions abound. In the Kansai area, people eat uncut sushi rolls called ehōmaki in silence while facing the year's auspicious compass direction. Other homes hang sardine heads and holly leaves at their gates to repel spirits with thorns and pungent odors. Even the surname Watanabe carries weight; because a historical retainer named Watanabe no Tsuna was famous for vanquishing demons, some families with that surname skip the bean-throwing entirely, believing oni will naturally avoid them.

Today, Setsubun remains a vibrant cultural touchstone. While many perform the rites at home, others flock to temples like Sensō-ji in Tokyo, where crowds of nearly 100,000 gather for festivals featuring celebrities and sumo wrestlers. Whether through eating regional delicacies like whale or sea cucumber, or engaging in playful cross-dressing rituals, the day serves as a liminal space where the spirit world and physical world briefly intersect, allowing for a fresh start.

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