Men born in the year of the dog throw small packets of beans into the waiting crowd, who, regardless of their age, scramble to catch them with all the vigor of a frenzied rugby scrum!
At Setsubun, the start of the New Year on the lunar calendar (February 3rd. this year), people all over Japan will go down to the local shrine to have beans thrown to them. This ritual is called Mamemaki, or bean throwing. Chosen citizens whose birth year coincides with the lunar year symbol, currently the year of the dog, will throw small packets of beans away, and at the same time chant 'Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi', or 'Out with the devil, in with good fortune'. It is a way of getting rid of evil spirits, and welcoming good fortune into our lives. Also, if we can catch or pick up enough beans to coincide with our age, and eat them, it is supposed to bring us good health for the coming year.
I took these pictures at Yutoku shrine, in Saga prefecture. The shrine priest gets into the act, and the crowd waits below to catch the beans.
Traditionally, the beans were roasted soy beans, but these days it seems that anything resembling a bean will suffice - rice crackers, peanuts and even almonds are used. This ritual is also carried out in homes, with either the father or mother throwing beans at the children, who represent the devils.
Then the beans are gathered up, and each family member eats their age in beans, bringing the whole family health. Often masks are worn by the family members to represent the devils, and good fortune, as they go from room to room chanting and throwing beans.
RK
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