Happy Setsubun to all! Or I guess not so happy as it marks the beginning of spring and the end of winter!! (Hopefully not snow!)

I have just participated in the ceremony at my temple here and it was another very very amusing year!! My particular temple has a few celebreties come and throw the beans out, with this year being no exception with some famous TV "Idols" and the usual Yokozuna Asashoryu and the other big named sumo (and big bodied!). All very exciting but what impresses me most every year is the sheer verocity of the OBACHAN`s during the throwing!!! Its packed out with people shoulder to shoulder like battery hens to see the famous Idols. Now I have played in some pretty dirty rugby games in my time but I am yet to see anything like the elbows flying and the barging that the old "innocent" looking ladies dish out! Arms lash, handbags fly and i was smacked in the chops more than once while simultaneoulsy elbowed in the crotch as they attempt to catch the beans!!!

then as soon as its over back to their former polite selves, summimasening and gomenassai`s all round!!
Top value celebration!!

You've gotta watch out for those obasans. On the trains they're lethal, too.

Damn, spring already? I'm not ready yet.

I want to throw beans around for snow outside! no rain! / snow outside! no rain!

Happy Groundhogs Day (in America) everyone! apparently the groundhog saw his own shadow, so
a longer winter of 6 more weeks has been predicted. More snow!

Yeah, prepared some rolled thick sushi to bite forwarding the correct direction for the year!

Gamera, could you explain that a bit more please?

Ah okay rach.
We bite a thick roll sushi heading to a correct direction for the year - I guess probably you have better verb rather than 'bite' for it though - anyway we eat some thick roll sushi heading to a correct direction to get some luck and avoid any unhappiness.
For this year, it's west-south-west.

I think this custom has raised up in Kansai region by sushi restaurants because my university classmates from Kyusyu region didn't know it.
And when I was a kid, I think we didn't do that so this is kinda new custom. Nowadays I think people do this in a lot many more regions.

Where does the West South West come from then? And next year?

Not really sure where.
Would be different for next year.