Setsubun 2027 is Feb 3: Where to Catch Bean-Throwing Ceremonies in Tokyo

Setsubun 2027 - the eve of risshun, the first day of spring on the old calendar - lands on Wednesday, February 3, 2027. Across Japan, shrines and temples will hold mame-maki ('throwing beans') ceremonies in which roasted soybeans are flung at a symbolic oni (demon) to drive out misfortune for the year.

The news angle is that 2027's date is one of the few years Setsubun returns to the 'standard' February 3. Because risshun shifts with the solar calendar, Setsubun has fallen on Feb 2 for several recent years - 2027 is the next solid Feb 3.

Where to catch it in Tokyo

• ●Tokyo Tower: Zojoji priest-led purification + bean toss, ~10:45-11:00
• ●Tokyo Skytree Town (Solamachi): sumo wrestlers from Naruto stable, two short sessions
• ●Zojoji Temple (Shiba): large open-air throw with celebrity guests
• ●Sensoji Temple (Asakusa): traditional throw from the main hall
• ●Narita-san Shinshoji: nationally televised throw, often with sumo yokozuna and NHK Taiga drama cast

How it works

Participants shout 'Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!' ('Demons out! Fortune in!') while throwing beans. At many major temples, celebrities, sumo wrestlers, or priests toss handfuls of beans and small gift bags into the crowd from a raised platform - catching one is considered lucky.

What else to eat

On the night of Feb 3 most households eat the number of beans matching their age (plus one for luck), and the Kansai-origin ehomaki - a thick uncut sushi roll - is eaten in silence while facing the lucky direction of the year. In 2027 that direction is south-southeast.

Note: ceremonies may be rain-cancelled; check the individual temple's social media on the morning of Feb 3. Tokyo Tower and Skytree Town tend to confirm their 2027 schedules in late January.

Plan the trip around Setsubun

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