02 Feb 07 Oni go away. Good luck come in
Tomorrow (Feb 3) is Setsubun in Japan. Males will wear a demon or Oni (demon) mask. Others will throw roasted soyabean on them and say “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi” which means Oni (demon) go away and fuku (good luck) come in. From Wikipedia entry on Setsubun
The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them. Then, as part of bringing luck in, it is customary eat soybeans, one for each year of one’s life, and in some areas, one for each year of one’s life, plus one more for bringing good luck for the year to come. In the Heian era, a famous Buddhist monk was said to have driven away oni by throwing beans.
These days you can buy the Oni mask in supermarkets.
The Oni also contains a packet of irimame (pan fried soyabean) that other can throw on you.
Now I am the Oni. Where are the children? Come throw irimame at me.
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