A Very Special Setsubun Observance This Year

Setsubun, literally meaning “seasonal division,” is a very popular festival to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring (Risshun) according to the Japanese lunar calendar. It is a very special Japanese observance this year for two reasons.

First, usually held on February 3, it will take place on February 2 for first time since 1897!

Second, we are in the midst of a sad and tragic Covid-19 pandemic. According to beliefs and tradition, Setsubun is an opportunity to get rid of the evil demon spirits that are responsible for sickness and other misfortunes.

Japan has a rich history and a deep-rooted culture that has many religious, superstitious and spiritual aspects. The Festival of Setsubun illustrates some unique rituals, customs and traditions.

So, if throwing beans, decorating your home with a sardine head and eating an oversize sushi roll while facing in a certain direction will welcome spring, protect us, help end the pandemic and bring good luck, I am ready for another fun and somewhat bizarre Japanese cultural experience.

For those who are unfamiliar with Setsubun or do not observe the festival, here is a brief guide that highlights its three most significant elements:

Bean Throwing Ceremony –– Mame-maki

Mame-maki is the ritual to chase away the evil spirit (oni) and keep a healthy environment in the home. It literally means bean-scattering but given that the word mame (bean) is homophone to another word meaning “destroying evil” the term Mamemaki defines the ceremony.

As a tradition in a family or gathering of friends, the oldest person wears a demon’s mask and the rest start throwing roasted soybeans (daizu) at him shouting “Oni wa soto!, Fuku wa Utsi!” (Demons out!, Good fortune in!). When they chase the demon out of the house they slam the door shut.

The soybeans are then gathered from the floor (it is considered unlucky if a bean is forgotten) and everyone then must eat a number of beans (plus one) that corresponds to his/her age to receive good health during the upcoming year.

Smelly Fish –– Hiiragi Iwashi

According to common belief, the oni do not like smelly fish and they are afraid of the sharp leaves of holly sprig which can point out their eyeballs. Based on an old custom of burning dried sardine heads in ceremonies accompanied by drums, some people today decorate the entrance of their houses with baked sardine’s heads together with the holly sprig.

An Oversized Sushi Roll –– Ehomaki

The distinctive food of Setsubun is ehomaki, a special thick rolled made out of 7 ingredients that represent the seven deities of good fortune. This Setsubun custom involves both how the roll is made and the unique manner in which it is to be eaten.

There are no set rules on what kind of ingredients one can use, however regardless of the type of ingredients their number should always be seven wrapped with rice and seaweed and rolled tight in order to keep the elements of prosperity, good health, and happiness closed in. The bigger the roll, the better!

One must then eat the entire roll as a whole, in silence, using both hands, and making a wish for good health and happiness for the upcoming spring and year while facing in a specified “lucky direction.”

Eho, which means “lucky direction” in English, refers to the direction in which Toshitokujin, the God of Fortune for the year, is facing and thus explains why you eat ehomaki facing that direction. The lucky direction changes every year and for 2021 is south-southeast.

I have always enjoyed the Setsubun experience. By far, my most favorite Setsubun memory involves not life in Japan but in Orono Maine while teaching at the University of Maine Business School.

One year I gathered a group of faculty, staff and graduate students in my office for the experience. I provided the soybeans, Ehomaki Keiko made, bottles of sake and an Oni mask. As the oldest, I explained and performed the Setsubun ceremony. A great and memorable time was had by all!

Focus on Vaccination

Recently, there has been more government and media attention to coronavirus vaccines as a way to suppress the further spread of the virus.

Japan is set to begin its vaccination process later than some other countries because Japan’s drug approvals require clinical trials involving Japanese people.  However, an emergency authorization based on data from other countries is allowed. Vaccines for the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic were given emergency approval after a three month review.

The government has a contract for 120 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, enough for 60 million of the country’s 126 million people, by the end of June. Pfizer is the only company so far to have applied for emergency approval for its vaccine.  Japan also has contracts with Moderna, AstraZeneca and Novavax.

The Japanese government is hoping Pfizer’s vaccine will be approved by mid-February under the accelerated process and is preparing to start an inoculation program in late February.

The vaccines will be provided free of charge andand medical personnel will get top priority followed by older people.

That said, some concern remains among the public regarding vaccines.

Japan has one of the lowest rates of vaccine confidence in the world reflecting  the caution and suspicion of the Japanese people about vaccines and potential side effects due to past vaccine-linked events.

The unease has its roots in health and related legal issues associated with a controversial inoculation program that caused the government to revise a vaccination law scrapping mandatory vaccinations.

Finally, the government will have to carefully manage how the public perceives a speedy approval process. The perception that political and economic considerations and the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics prompted a faster approval, could arouse suspicion over whether the vaccines have been thoroughly vetted.  An already-skeptical public could undermine the scale and impact of the vaccination program.

A Troubling Third Wave and Low Public Confidence

While the first infection wave died down at the end of April, the number of infections began rising again in late June, marking the beginning of the second wave, which peaked in early August.

Reflecting the success of a national state of emergency declaration, the situation abated.  Unfortunately the number of infections started to increase again in late October as the government sought to stimulate economic activity including a program designed to promote travel and tourism within Japan.

Japan is now in the throes of a third wave, with the daily number of new coronavirus cases hitting a record 7,883 on this month.  Infections with new coronavirus variants that appears to be highly transmissible have also been confirmed.

The government has declared another state of emergency for Tokyo and other major population centers and is considering a proposal to expand national and local governmental authority to strengthen enforcement of policies to prevent spread of the virus.

However, according to the most recent public opinion polls, the approval rate for the government of new Prime Minister Suga continues dropping significantly since September, with disapproval of Suga’s “lack of leadership” over the pandemic cited by respondents.

One survey found 68.3 percent were dissatisfied with the coronavirus measures implemented by the government while the recently announced monthlong state of emergency declared was viewed as “too late” by 79.2 percent.  Nearly 78 percent said it needed to be expanded to other areas.

Regarding the government’s plan to seek authority to punish businesses that refuse to comply with its requests, 48.7 percent of survey respondents opposed such punishment, while 42.7 percent were supportive.

I expect my family and friends in the United States are sleeping better with Trump spending his last night in the White House and Biden’s inauguration. For myself, with time/date differences I will get little sleep as I spend hours with CNN watching the events in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is still my favorite city in the world. I lived and worked there for over 25 years. I cried as I watched the January 6th attack on the Capitol, a sacred place where I once spent a part of every working day.

Seeing the dramatic views of the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the Washington Monument and the Capitol have been inspirational. Among many vivid memories are those of attending past inaugurals.

With little else to do, I’ve a bottle of single-malt scotch set aside as my political genes take control and I become my personal analyst/commentator and celebrate a New Day for America.

Politics, the Economy, Public Health and the Olympics

There were several factors that led to the government’s delay in taking more decisive steps to adopt stronger measures to contain the spread of the virus.

First, government officials and business interests feared that if Japan showed a large number of infected cases, it could lead to the postponement or cancellation of the 2020 Summer Olympics. They believed the Olympics were critical both to boost Japan’s prestige and as a catalyst needed to stimulate demand, investment, tourism and innovation in a sluggish economy.

Second, public health authorities feared a “collapse” of a medical system unable to cope with a large infected patient population.**

These two factors led to the adoption of a conscious and explicit policy to limit the number of tests conducted for the coronavirus.

Third, there are tense relations between central and Prefecture government officials that appears to hinder sound policy development and coordination.  With no real power to enforce business closures or other policies and a requirement to consult with a hesitant central government, local officials and health professionals struggled to minimize the impact of the virus.

Finally, government officials, lacking authority to adopt or enforce compliance policies, were concerned about public support of emergency measures even though the Japanese people generally have a high level of compliance with government requests and recommendations.

[**FYI — The headline in my daily Tokyo newspaper today reads: “Virus patients dying, unable to access care.”]