Setsubun

Today I had a lunch date with 3 of my favorite Japanese ladies. They took me to a new place called "Ciao", which serves spaghetti and appears to be Italian, but so many things in Japan aren't what they first seem!!

This wasn't your normal spaghetti. It was a Nagoya speciality, and unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me :( But I will do my best to describe it in detail. The noodles are Japanese and are thicker than normal spaghetti, and the sauce was orangish, thick, sticky, & a little spicy. The really strange part is you get to put a bunch of random toppings on it! The one I ordered was called "bopon" and had spinach, mushrooms, corn, and pork slices!! It was an interesting combination, but not too bad. I'm told that many visitors, especially those from the Tokyo office, love this place because it's so regional.

While we were eating, one of the women gave me a "present". It is pictured below.

I had no idea what it was, but thanked her any way. She came prepared with an English printout and told me it was for "Setsubun".

As it turns out Setsubun is from the Lunar calendar and is considered the traditional end of winter. This year it is celebrated on February 3rd, and February 4th is officially the start of spring. (Although the weather here may not reflect it!) Many years ago Japan celebrated Setsubun as New Year's Eve!

Back to my "present"... in order to celebrate Setsubun properly, roasted soybeans are either thrown out the door or at a family member wearing a demon mask while and shouting the phrase "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi". Loosely translated this means "Demons Out, Luck In." In addition, to guarantee good health, one must collect the scattered beans and then eat the number corresponding to their age!

I saved 29 beans, ate them (pretty dry and tasteless), and then threw the rest over my balcony while shouting! Moments like this, I really wish I had a family member around so they could don a demon mask, and I'd have an excuse to throw things at them!!