I remember watching Nippon Mukashibanashi on TV in the 1980s. It was a lovely way to learn Japanese and learn about Japan. Watching "Setsubun no Oni" today I was charmed again by the voices, but especially the dialect. I am pretty sure I was unable to recognize that when I first watched the series.
I watched that 昔話 on YouTube the other day and loved it, but it was in some playlist and the title was cut off, and I didn't really put it together with 節分 but now I know, of course! I love your take on 節分, thank you!
Thank you for this entertaining post. I imagine that there’s a huge clean up operation involved after throwing the beans all over the room/house, or are they only thrown outside?
There aren't any strict rules, but traditionally we throw beans inside and outside. In Setsubun custom, we don't call it "cleaning up." We call it "picking up fortunes." All the beans thrown are considered good luck beans.
When I lived a couple of years in the Izumo part of Shimane-ken I came across Zu-Zu-ben - the local dialect. A friend worked on a dictionary of Zu-Zu-ben and Koku-go to be used by doctors and other medical people when dealing with elderly patients really only speakers of dialect form - this was in the early 1990s... As far as I am aware - in the far north of Tōhoku there is also dialect known as Zu-Zu-ben...
How interesting. I cannot claim any Japanese connection to my pseudonym - it’s linked to the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Very prosaic, I’m afraid.
Over quite a number of years I was invited to a local Shrine in the city where I lived to throw mamefuku to the crowds of parishioners and others below - while I was wearing a "matsuri happi" and standing alongside "oni" (shrine attendants) on the high stage set up - even once on the Shrine Office roof - to those who gathered at Setsubun. The Shrine was in an old part of the city centre - one of those roofed-over former streets - businesses on both sides largely passed by in favour of the newer shopping centres ringing the city outskirts - but still clinging on - and festival days at the Shrine brought in throngs of people - and all these litle businesses flourished on such days. Win-Win. (In fact I was made an honorary parishioner of the Shrine - whose priest had made it the beating heart of the city.)
Somebody once explained that this lunar calendar commencement of spring (setsubun) served another purpose. When the beans were thrown at the oni who came to the door (usually Dad or Grandad) the beans themselves would be scattered throughout the house. Now the house had been closed up against the cold of the winter - and this provided the first chance for a spring clean - I guess you might call it - sweeping and dusting behind furniture and along walls wherever the beans might have rolled to... It sounded reasonable to me.
I wasn't familiar with the story, "Setsubun no Oni". Love it! It encourages one to see the good in people, even when they have been branded as 'bad'.
It's one of my favorites in that series, too.
I remember watching Nippon Mukashibanashi on TV in the 1980s. It was a lovely way to learn Japanese and learn about Japan. Watching "Setsubun no Oni" today I was charmed again by the voices, but especially the dialect. I am pretty sure I was unable to recognize that when I first watched the series.
Thank you so much, I really enjoyed reading this. So much of what you have said resonates for me.
I watched that 昔話 on YouTube the other day and loved it, but it was in some playlist and the title was cut off, and I didn't really put it together with 節分 but now I know, of course! I love your take on 節分, thank you!
Thank you for this entertaining post. I imagine that there’s a huge clean up operation involved after throwing the beans all over the room/house, or are they only thrown outside?
There aren't any strict rules, but traditionally we throw beans inside and outside. In Setsubun custom, we don't call it "cleaning up." We call it "picking up fortunes." All the beans thrown are considered good luck beans.
That’s a very positive way of viewing things. Wonderful.
When I lived a couple of years in the Izumo part of Shimane-ken I came across Zu-Zu-ben - the local dialect. A friend worked on a dictionary of Zu-Zu-ben and Koku-go to be used by doctors and other medical people when dealing with elderly patients really only speakers of dialect form - this was in the early 1990s... As far as I am aware - in the far north of Tōhoku there is also dialect known as Zu-Zu-ben...
How interesting. I cannot claim any Japanese connection to my pseudonym - it’s linked to the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Very prosaic, I’m afraid.
See my comment - it tallies with your supposition - perfectly - thanks.
Over quite a number of years I was invited to a local Shrine in the city where I lived to throw mamefuku to the crowds of parishioners and others below - while I was wearing a "matsuri happi" and standing alongside "oni" (shrine attendants) on the high stage set up - even once on the Shrine Office roof - to those who gathered at Setsubun. The Shrine was in an old part of the city centre - one of those roofed-over former streets - businesses on both sides largely passed by in favour of the newer shopping centres ringing the city outskirts - but still clinging on - and festival days at the Shrine brought in throngs of people - and all these litle businesses flourished on such days. Win-Win. (In fact I was made an honorary parishioner of the Shrine - whose priest had made it the beating heart of the city.)
Somebody once explained that this lunar calendar commencement of spring (setsubun) served another purpose. When the beans were thrown at the oni who came to the door (usually Dad or Grandad) the beans themselves would be scattered throughout the house. Now the house had been closed up against the cold of the winter - and this provided the first chance for a spring clean - I guess you might call it - sweeping and dusting behind furniture and along walls wherever the beans might have rolled to... It sounded reasonable to me.
Wonderful post!!!!