Photos of a bean-throwing ritual to celebrate seasonal change and ward off evil at a Japanese shrine

Setsubun is also known as “mame-maki,” or bean-throwing. It falls around Feb. 3, on the eve of Risshun, marking the beginning of spring in Japan.Long before modern calendars, the change of seasons was viewed as a vulnerable moment when illness and misfortune could enter lives. Setsubun was meant to contain that instability; people throw the same lucky beans at representations of demons to bring the loathed creatures misfortune.As people pitch the soybeans, they chant, “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” — demons out, fortune in.Families perform the custom at home, while temples and shrines con…READ FULL ARTICLE