This Friday is Setsubun, a special Japanese day when fathers will put on paper masks and become an oni (devil or ogre) and pretend to attack the family’s children, who pelt him with dried soybeans shouting, “Out with devils! In with happiness!” Setsubun has a very long history, dating back to the Heian Period (794-1185) — it’s mentioned in The Tale of Genji — and it’s a unique part of Japanese folk culture. I’m sure more than a few Western anime fans will wonder why these ogres are cosplaying as Lum from the classic Urusei Yatsura anime, but in fact it’s the other way around — Lum’s clothing is pays cultural homage to Japanese oni lore, and in fact her homeworld is Oniboshi (Planet Ogre). While Setsubun used to fall at the end of the year when Japan used the Chinese lunar calendar, these days it’s not unlike Groundhog Day in the U.S. (which is tomorrow), the mid-point of winter when people are starting to think about warmer days to come.
Throwing soybeans at ogres on Setsubun. Moe ogres.
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