[The Story of Setsubun]
Setsubun, meaning “season-dividing day,” has long marked the transition between seasons and is held on the day before Risshun (the start of spring). This period, shifting from the harsh cold of winter to spring, is considered a time of great transition in the balance of yin and yang energies. It was traditionally believed that the energies of heaven and earth become unstable during this time. Consequently, it has long been regarded as a period when evil spirits and misfortune are likely to appear.
Setsubun marks the moment when winter’s yin energy peaks and spring’s yang energy begins to stir. During this transitional period when the energies of heaven and earth converge, all things are prone to change. Legends speak of tsukumogami—old objects becoming supernatural beings—and the emergence of demons and epidemics. It was seen as a time when humans were susceptible to illness and adverse effects on their physical and mental well-being.
To welcome the new season peacefully, people have performed rituals to ward off evil spirits. The most representative of these is “bean-throwing” (mame-maki), where beans are scattered while chanting “Fortune in, demons out!” The “Kagerō Nikki” (Diary of a Dragonfly), written by Fujiwara no Michitsuna’s mother during the Heian period, describes people enjoying the “oni-yarai” (demon-chasing) ritual to drive away demons. Later, during the Muromachi period, it evolved into the bean-throwing form we know today.
The connection between beans and the warding of evil lies in the word “mame.” In Japanese, “mame” can be a pun for both “demon eyes” (ma-me) and “destroying demons” (ma-me). This linguistic link reflects the ancient belief in kotodama (the spirit of words), where the act of scattering beans became a symbolic ritual to strike and shatter the “evil eyes” of demons.
Furthermore, beans are one of the five grains (rice, wheat, millet, sorghum, beans) and have been regarded as entities embodying the spiritual power of life. In grain spirit worship, the five grains were used in sacred rites, and beans and rice in particular were thought to possess the power to ward off evil. The use of roasted beans also stems from this belief. Raw beans were considered taboo as they might sprout, symbolizing “misfortune sprouting anew.” Furthermore, the word for “roasting” (iru) is a homophone for “shooting” (iru). Therefore, hard-roasted beans were deemed spiritually appropriate for “shooting” and piercing the demon’s eyes to neutralize their evil power.
The customs of Setsubun embody both a playful spirit and the earnest wish of people to safely navigate the changing seasons.
References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/節分
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/言霊
