Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at a Buddhist temple in downtown Tokyo, eagerly stretching their hands to catch the dried soybeans thrown at them in the hope of warding off evil spirits and inviting good luck.
Japan’s annual ritual of “mame-maki,” or bean-throwing, at Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and homes sees people marking “setsubun,” the last day of the winter in the Japanese lunar calendar. Like rice, soybeans are considered a symbol of vitality and purity.
