Throwing beans to keep out the evil. This age-old ritual will be occurring in homes, schools and temples all over Japan tomorrow, the day that marks the change of seasons according to the lunar (Chinese) calendar. Below you can see the store display for masks and packages of beans for sale.
At school one of the teachers will come into the classroom wearing a scary mask trying to frighten all the children who in turn throw roasted soybeans or peanuts at him. When our boys were going to Japanese school, we kept them home that day. We didn't want them participating in anything that was to ward off evil spirits. For play or real, it's just another reminder of Satan's evil grasp on this nation.
