The shape of it
About
On the eve of spring each February, temples across Tokyo hold mamemaki — flinging roasted soybeans to drive out demons and invite in good fortune. Sensō-ji in Asakusa, where Japan's first large-scale Setsubun was held, pairs the throwing with a Seven Lucky Gods dance, while Zōjō-ji beneath Tokyo Tower draws celebrity bean-throwers.
Highlights
- Mamemaki bean-throwing — crowds catch roasted soybeans to chants of 'oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi'
- Sensō-ji's Fukuju-no-mai dance of the Seven Lucky Gods, site of Japan's first large Setsubun ceremony
- Zōjō-ji beneath Tokyo Tower, where zodiac-year celebrities scatter beans over the assembled crowd
Plan it well
- Check each temple's posted throwing times — ceremonies run only a short window, often midday or afternoon
- Stand near the front of the platform to catch beans and small fortune packets, but brace for the push
- Many homes and temples nationwide observe it; if the big temples are too packed, a local shrine works too
Where it happens
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