Setsubun marks the transition from winter to spring in Japan and takes place on the day before Risshun, the first of the 24 seasonal divisions, or Nijūshi Sekki. Its best-known ritual is mamemaki: roasted soybeans, called fuku mame or “lucky beans,” are thrown while calling “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” — “Demons out! Luck in!” The ritual symbolically clears away misfortune and welcomes good fortune for the season ahead. More than a festival, Setsubun expresses a distinctly Japanese way of marking seasonal change through simple acts, shared rituals and a renewed awareness of nature’s rhythms.