At night, we ate Ehomaki, thick sushi rolls which are believed to bring good fortune if eaten while facing the year’s “Eho” (good luck direction). It was Setsubun yesterday, and Setsubun is new year’s eve in the lunar calendar. We usually eat Ehomaki and scatter roasted soybeans in Japan.
I ate Ehomaki while doing Ima Iwai and Yoshuku. I will talk about them some other time, but they are rituals I conduct to bring fortune.
We also had tofu because it was good to eat tofu on Setsubun, as well. It is supposed to cleanse evil energy when it is eaten on Setsubun and bring happiness when it is eaten on Rishun, the new year’s day. Any kind of soybeans is good.
Then, we began bean throwing.
First, we threw beans outside shouting “Oni wa soto!”.
Then, we threw beans inside shouting “Fuku wa uchi!”.
Finally, we picked up the beans on the floor and ate the amount that is one bean more than our age. That means our son ate 10 of them, and don’t ask me how many I ate-haha, it took me a long time.
The Ikigai Diet: The Secret Japanese Diet to Health and Longevity
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