culture/ Feb 1, 2026
Beans and Demons
Every February, adults throw roasted soybeans at invisible demons and eat sushi rolls in silence facing southeast

Every February, adults throw roasted soybeans at invisible demons and eat sushi rolls in silence facing southeast

Osechi-ryori and the edible symbolism of Japanese New Year - why we eat black beans for diligence and herring roe for fertility

How a 1974 marketing campaign became a national ritual - and what the queues say about how Japan makes meaning
