　毎年、節分の翌朝の我家の庭や駐車場には豆がころがっている。私が鬼というわけでもあるまいが（ハハハ）、隣近所の子どものいる家が撒いた豆が飛ん来ているのである。我家は豆を撒かない。口に放り込むのである。老年になってからはせいぜい10粒20粒。七十六粒も口に入れてごらんよ、大変だから。

　我家には恵方巻を食す習慣がない。恵方巻を食べるのはどの地方だろう。関西方面だろうか。我家のルーツは仙台藩の武士と北海道江差近傍の僧侶。私は恵方巻と称する海苔巻を知ったのは、ずっと後年になってからである。父も母も死ぬまで知らなかっただろう。しかもその食べ方を聞いて私は二度びっくりした。
　ここ2,30年の間に地方性は何においても薄れているかもしれない。恵方巻もどこのコンビニエンス・ストアーでもスーパー・マーケットでも売っている。私は買わない。それを食べないのだから買わないのだ。海苔巻なら、私が作る。アッハッハハ。

　明治32年に出版された平出ケン二郎（ケンは金ヘンに堅）著『東京風俗志』には、明治時代の東京の節分についての記述がある。なかなかお盛んと言うべきか、大変な事と言うべきか、「ヘー！」ということばかり。ちょっと面白いので行事の要点をかいつまんでみよう。

　〈節分の日には厄落しのために煎り豆を年齢より一粒多く食う。またその数を紙に包んで、身体を撫で、三つ角の辻に捨てる。その夜、福は内、鬼は外と唱え、また門口に豆がら鰯、ヒイラギ等を挿して悪鬼を祓う。痰を根治するマジナイと称して、長蕪（ながかぶ；大根）の葉に自分の姓名と誕生日を書き、これを懐に入れて寝、翌朝水に流す。毎年このようにして三年間つづけると病根を断つと伝えられている。昼は太神楽が来、夜は「厄祓い」と呼び歩く。この夜、亀戸神社で追儺（ついな）の神事がある。社前に篝火（かがりび）を焚き、神楽を奏す。講中の者が二人、二本の角に四つ目の赤鬼青鬼に扮し、猿の皮をかぶり、鹿の角の杖をついて社前に近づく。これを神主が問答して説諭し、退散させる。〉『東京風俗志』に拠る。

　亀戸神社で追儺神事は、明治維新の頃は途絶えていたが、明治30年頃には復活した、と平出氏は書いている。現在はどうなのだろう。私は知らない。しかし亀戸神社のウェブサイトによると節分の追儺神事は現在もおこなっているようだ。
　今年こそ新型コロナウィルスの厄祓いを望む人は多いであろうに、少なくとも私の住んでいるあたりの寺社では豆撒きは中止のようだ。しかしそれもまた、感染クラスターを避ける厄払いであろう。

Tomorrow is Setsubun
spring and The day of Bean-Throwing).
Why? Tomorrow is February 2nd. Setsubun will be
Feburuary 3rd, is't it?
Thaat's right. However, due to space operations, this
year's year is 365 days and 6 hours. It's six hours
longer than usual. That's why February 2nd is Setsubun
this year. It's been 124 years since then.
Are the beans sowed ready?

Every year, beans are falling and rolling in our garden
and parking lot the morning after Setsubun
Oni (demon)....hahahaha..., but beans sown by houses
with children in the neighborhood are flying. I don't
sprinkle beans. Throw them in my mouth. At most 10
beans or 20 beans as old age. Put 76 beans in your
mouth, because it's hard.

Ehōmaki .
Which region will eat Ehōmaki ? Is it in the Kansai area?
The roots of our family are the samurai of the Sendai
domain and tha monks near Esashi, Hokkaidō . It was
in the last some years that I learnd about the seaweed
roll called Ehōmaki . Neither my father nor my mother
eould have known until their death. Moreover I was
surprised twice when I heard how to eat it.
In the last few 30 years. locality may have faded in
everything. Ehōmaki is also sold at convenience stores
and supermarkets everywhere. I don't buy. I don't buy
it because I don't eat it. If it's norimaki, seaweed roll,
I'll make it. Ahahaha.

THe book "Tokyo Fuzokushi (Tokyo Customs" by
Kenjiro Hiraide published in1899 has a description of
Setsubun in Tokyo during the Meiji era. Whether it
should be said that it is quite popular or hard custom,
it's all about "What?". It's a little interesting, so let's
take a look at the main points of the event.

〈On Setsubun day, eat one more roasted bean than
your age to get rid of evil. Also, wrap the number in
paper, stroke the body, and throw it into the three-
intersection Tsuji .
That night, Sprinkling beans, " Fuku wa uchi,
soto (Fortune in, Devils out)" exclaimed. And also, a
head of sardine, holly, etc. are inserted at the gate to
exterminate evil spirits.
Called Majinai (charm), which cures sputum, write
your first and last name and birthday on the leaves of
Naga kabu ( Daikon ; radish), put this in your pocket,
sleep, and flish it with water the next morning. It is said
that if you continue for three years in this way every
year, the root of the diseas will be cut off, and you will
completely recovere from sputum.
Daikagura (the Shintō 's secred music and dance)
comes in the daytime, and at night walking " Yaku-harai
(drive off evils) exclaimed.
This night, there is Shinto ritual Kameido Shrine. A
bonfireis lit in front of the company to play Kagura .
Two people in the class dressed as the four eyed with
two horns' Aka-oni and Ao-oni (red and blue demons) ,
covered with monkey skin, and attached a cane with
deer horns to approsche the shrine. The priest asks
and answers this question, preaches them, and dis-
perses them.〉　based on "Tokyo Fuzokushi".

Mr. Hiraide wrote that the ritual of Setsubun at
Kameido Shrine had stopped during the Mwiji Resto-
ration, but was revived around 1895 or so. How is it
now? Unfortunately I don't know. However, according
to the Kameido Shrine website, it seems that the
Shintō ritual of Setsubun is still being held.
Many people would like to get rid of COVID-19 this
year, but at least at the temples and shrines where I
live, sowing beans seems to have stopped. But that
would also be a exorcize to avoid infected clusters.

Tadami Yamada.

　

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