Today is Setsubun
Today, 3 February, is Setsubun.
Setsubun means the time when the seasons divide. It is the day before Risshun, Rikka, Risshu, and Ritto — the turning points of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The turn from winter to spring came to be valued as the start of the new year, and in time Setsubun came to mean only the day before Risshun. It also has the sense of driving out evil as spring arrives.
In recent years, along with the throwing of beans, the custom of eating an ehomaki roll while facing that year’s lucky direction (eho) has spread across the country.
The lucky direction changes each year. For 2026 it is said to be south-southeast.
Let us eat ehomaki and wish for a happy year.