Japan Setsubun 2027: February 3 Bean-Throwing Festival Explained with Shrine Events

On 3 February 2027, Japanese parents will don demon masks and let their children throw roasted soybeans at them while shouting 'Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!' (Demons out! Fortune in!). Setsubun is a 1,000-year-old purification ritual marking the day before spring begins, with shrine ceremonies, sumo wrestlers tossing beans into crowds, and a 20-year-old sushi tradition — ehomaki — that is now Japan's biggest convenience-store seasonal food. Full 2027 guide.

Quick facts: Setsubun 2027

The ritual purifies the home for the new agricultural year. Beans are thrown out the front door (expelling demons) and into the house (inviting fortune). Afterwards each family member eats their age-count of beans — one soybean per year lived.

The household ritual — step by step

• ●Buy fukumame — roasted soybean packs sold at every supermarket from mid-January, ¥200-500
• ●Appoint toshi-otoko / toshi-onna — person born in the current zodiac animal year; they throw the beans
• ●Father wears oni mask — paper/plastic; often included free with bean pack
• ●Open front door — toshi-otoko throws beans outside shouting 'Oni wa soto!' (Demons out!)
• ●Close door, throw inside — shouting 'Fuku wa uchi!' (Fortune in!)
• ●Repeat at each window + each room — ensures demon can't escape to another room
• ●Each family member eats their age+1 beans — toshi for good luck in the coming year
• ●Clean up — some families leave 1 night (bad for mice); most sweep up before bed

Famous 2027 Setsubun shrine events

• ●Senso-ji (Asakusa, [Tokyo](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Tokyo&aid=8095781&label=auto-tokyo-autolink&nflt=review_score%3D80&order=popularity)) — 10am + noon + 2pm; sumo wrestlers + celebrities throw beans from stage
• ●Zojo-ji (Shiba, [Tokyo](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Tokyo&aid=8095781&label=auto-tokyo-autolink&nflt=review_score%3D80&order=popularity)) — adjacent to Tokyo Tower; celebrity-politician heavy guest list
• ●Kanda Myojin ([Tokyo](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Tokyo&aid=8095781&label=auto-tokyo-autolink&nflt=review_score%3D80&order=popularity)) — business-prayer shrine; Tokyo tech CEOs often guest-throw
• ●Yasaka Shrine ([Kyoto](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Kyoto&aid=8095781&label=auto-kyoto-autolink&nflt=review_score%3D80&order=popularity)) — maiko (apprentice geisha) throw beans; most photogenic
• ●Narita-san Shinshoji (Chiba) — the biggest event; sumo yokozuna champions throw
• ●Yoshida Shrine ([Kyoto](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Kyoto&aid=8095781&label=auto-kyoto-autolink&nflt=review_score%3D80&order=popularity)) — bonfire ritual the night before; mountain-shrine fire ceremony
• ●Yakuyoke-jinja temples nationwide — specialized bad-luck-removal shrines double on Setsubun

Ehomaki — the 20-year sushi tradition

• ●What: Whole thick futomaki sushi roll — not cut into pieces
• ●How: Eat the entire roll in silence while facing the year's lucky direction (south-south-east for 2027)
• ●Why uncut: Cutting the roll cuts the luck
• ●Why silence: Speaking lets the luck escape
• ●Origin: Osaka 1930s merchant promotion; 7-Eleven spread it nationwide in 1998
• ●Modern pricing: ¥500-3,000 per roll; premium versions with uni + lobster + wagyu
• ●Where to buy: Konbini (24hr), supermarkets, dedicated ehomaki popups
• ●Order 1-2 weeks ahead for popular shops — Tsukiji + depachika premium versions sell out

How tourists can witness + participate

• ●Attend shrine throwing — arrive 1 hour before scheduled toss; wear durable clothes (beans hurt)
• ●Catch beans — bags containing beans + sometimes mochi + coins; keeping one bag is lucky
• ●Buy ehomaki at konbini — eat in your hotel room facing SSE (compass app in direction)
• ●Join household — Airbnb hosts often invite guests to participate
• ●Buy fukumame bean packs as souvenirs — fold flat, ¥200-500, culturally interesting gift

Bookable Setsubun + winter-culture experiences

• ●Senso-ji Setsubun observation + Asakusa walking [tour](https://www.klook.com/en-US/search/?query=Japan&tp_sub=japan) — ¥6,500, 3 hours
• ●Yasaka Shrine + Gion maiko-throwing viewing ([Kyoto](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Kyoto&aid=8095781&label=auto-kyoto-autolink&nflt=review_score%3D80&order=popularity)) — ¥8,000
• ●Narita-san day trip from [Tokyo](https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?ss=Tokyo&aid=8095781&label=auto-tokyo-autolink&nflt=review_score%3D80&order=popularity) + sumo champion toss — ¥12,000
• ●Winter izakaya + ehomaki private dinner — ¥9,500

FAQ

• ●Is Setsubun a public holiday? No — regular workday + school day; evening household ritual.
• ●Why 3 February — is it always? No — tied to Risshun; moves between 2-4 February. 2027 is 3 February.
• ●Can I attend shrine throwings? Yes — public events, free, arrive early.
• ●Will the beans hit me? Small risk — bean packs in bags are the main catch; raw beans sometimes tossed.
• ●What is the lucky direction for 2027? South-south-east based on the year's zodiac (ehogata changes annually).
• ●Must I eat all beans? No, but age+1 count is traditional; one must eat at least some.
• ●Can I eat ehomaki while talking? Not during the entire roll — silence is the whole point.
• ●Why do fathers wear demon masks? Humor-ritual — the demon represents misfortune; children expel it.
• ●What if I'm celiac or allergic to soy? Peanuts + chestnuts increasingly substituted at household level.
• ●Is Setsubun observed in Okinawa + Hokkaido? Yes but with regional variations — Hokkaido uses peanuts (easier to clean from snow).