Who Takes Part
Before Spring Begins ④
If you missed the previous entry, you can read it here: Why Beans Are Thrown.
Setsubun works because everyone takes a role.
No one stands outside the moment.
Someone throws beans. Someone becomes the oni. Someone watches. Someone laughs.
Every home creates its own version.
Children often lead the throwing.
They move first. They shout loudest. They aim without hesitation.
Adults step back or step forward, depending on the house.
Sometimes a parent wears the mask. Sometimes an older sibling does. Sometimes no one does.
There is no fixed rule.
The oni stands as an enemy.
But the role remains symbolic.
The mask does not represent a person.
It represents what lives inside everyone.
Impatience. Anger. Disorder. Restless thoughts.
Setsubun does not target an external creature.
It creates a moment to move these things outward.
Not because people feel broken.
Because everyone carries them.
The ritual offers release, not blame.
Without the oni, nothing moves.
No beans fly. No voices rise.
The ritual needs resistance.
This does not feel like theater.
It feels closer to play.
Roles shift. Energy circulates. Everyone joins, even those who pretend not to care.
Setsubun does not belong to institutions.
It belongs in the kitchen. Living rooms. Entryways.
It lives inside ordinary homes.
What matters here does not come from tradition alone.
It comes from participation.
Each person carries a part. Each action supports the whole.
In this moment, children learn rhythm. Adults learn restraint. Families learn coordination.
No one performs for an audience.
They move together.
If ③ explored movement, ④ shows connection.
Not through instruction.
Through shared presence.