At the Doorway
Before Spring Begins ②
If you missed the previous entry, you can begin here: Before Spring Begins.
Setsubun begins at a specific place.
It begins at the doorway.
This choice carries meaning.
The doorway stands between the inside and the outside. It marks where daily life meets what lies beyond the home.
In Japan, this boundary shapes behavior. Shoes stop here. Movement slows here. Awareness begins here.
During Setsubun, people stand at the doorway.
They do not throw beans from deep inside the house. They face outward.
At the doorway, direction matters.
The oni represents an enemy. Not a creature of fantasy, but a symbol of disruption.
Noise. Disorder. Things that do not belong inside.
Setsubun does not aim to destroy the enemy. It aims to keep it outside.
At the doorway, people draw a line.
This line protects the code that follows it. Calm. Rhythm. Daily life.
This thinking extends beyond one ritual.
Japanese homes follow the same logic. Boundaries stay clear. Transitions stay deliberate.
Before spring arrives, attention turns to the edge.
At the doorway, balance begins.