　きょうは節分である。「追儺（ついな）」、あるいは「鬼やらい」「なやらい」ともいう。
　古代中国・晉の時代、4世紀半ばに干宝（カンホウ）が著わした、怪異事件を集めて記録した書物『捜神記』に、つぎのような記事がある。

　「昔、センギョク氏に三人の息子があったが、三人とも死んでから疫病神になった。一人は揚子江に住みつき瘧（おこり）の神となり、一人は若水に住みついて魍魎（もうりょう）となり，一人は人の家に住みついて子供に引きつけや夜泣きをおこさせる小さな化物になった。だから正月には方相氏に命じて追儺の儀式を行わせ、疫病神を払うこととなったのである。」（東洋文庫『捜神記』竹田晃氏訳、平凡社刊）

　この儀式が日本に渡来し、立春の前夜、すなわち季節の分け目（節分）に、各社寺で豆を撒いて災禍を追い払う「追儺式」がおこなわれるようになった。しかしながら、1821年から1842年にかけて幕府の命令で屋代弘賢（やしろひろかた）が編纂した『古今要覧稿』によれば、節分と追儺とは後世おなじことのように行われているが、本来、平安朝期の「追儺式」は12月の晦日のみに行われ、ほかの日にはおこなわれなかった。節分とははっきり差別していた、とある。さらに、時代が下ると節分に大豆を打ち撒くにようになったが、これは『後漢書』が典拠で、すなわち「以赤丸五穀播漉之（あかまるごこくをもってこれをうちまく：山田）」とあるが、日本において豆撒きが行われるようになった時代は判然としない、とある。

　ともあれ、平安時代には宮中や貴族の邸では、追儺行事に柊とナヨシ（魚のイナ）の頭を門に挿した。このことは『土佐日記』にも書かれている。そしてやがて時代は下って、江戸時代には庶民の習俗となり、ナヨシのかわりに鰯の頭を使うようになった。現在でもこの習俗が残っている地方があるかもしれない。

　ちなみに、我家には昔から「恵方巻」を食す習慣がない。亡父亡母も「恵方巻」知らなかったと思う。私がそれを知ったのは20年くらい前で、50歳を過ぎていたと思う。スーパーマーケットや，最近はコンビニエンス・ストアでも見かけるが、買ったことがない。関心外と言ったほうがよいかもしれない。そして、じつは「恵方巻」の食しかたを知ったときは、内心、「うわッ！」となった。三つ子の魂なんとやらで、我家では誰一人としてとても真似できない。もちろん海苔巻は好きだ。鉄火巻も好きだし、太巻寿司も好きだ。
　・・・ただ、そのう、恵方巻はその食作法がねー、どうもねー。

　この「恵方巻」とその食作法について，私は疑問をもっている。つまり、これはかなり近年になって、スーパーマーケットのような総菜を扱う商店によって考案された、いわゆるアイデア商品とその販売作戦を起源とするのではないか、という疑問だ。
　というのは、民間信仰に関する書物（たとえば桜井徳太郎編『民間信仰辞典』東京堂出版刊、1980年）にも、「恵方」についての記述はあるが、「恵方巻」を吉方角に向いて大口で1本の太海苔巻を食う習俗があるなどとは記されていない。
　恵方（吉方）は、陰陽道において歳徳神の司る方角で、十干十二支の組合せできまる。毎年、方角がことなるのはこの組合せによるからである。農村ではこの日に田畑に年初めの鍬入れをおこない、豊作を祈願した。また、節分の日に限ったことではないが、初物を食するとき、食前に東の方角に向かって笑うという習俗をもっている人たちに、私自身が遭ったことがる。

　私はつぎのように推測してみる。「恵方巻」は、陰陽道による恵方信仰、および初物を食べるときに東を向いて笑う習俗に、韓国のキンパと日本の太巻寿司とからヒントを得て関西方面の食品業者がつくりだした、戦略商品として始まった新しい習慣なのではないか？

　如何であろう。

　【節分の豆撒きを川柳に詠む】

　　　　歳の数豆喰うと言うが
　　豆撒きや七十六を四十にす　青穹（山田維史）

　　豆撒きや非戦主義者の我が口へ

　　鬼やらいミサイル撃てど鬼も居ず

　　豆食えば腹ふくるなり呆け政治*

　　追儺式僧侶神主からさわぎ
　　　　　　　豆でコロナ禍祓えもすまい

【自註】正岡子規の「柿くへば・・・」のパロディ。

Today is Setsubun (the day before the begining of
spring. Been Throwing Festival). Also known as
"Tsuina (nuo folk religion ceremony. Drive away
disasters)" or "Oniyarai (drive away demons)" and
"Nayarai (same meaning as drive away demons)"
In the ancient Chinese Jin dynasty, the book
"Soshinki (In Search of the Supernatural)", which was
written by Gan Bao in the middle of the 4th century
and recorded a collection of mysterious incidents,
has the following article.

"Once upon a time, Mr. Sengyok had three sons,
but all three because epidemic gods after they died.
One lived in the Yangtze River and became the god
of sickness, and one lived in Yuandan and became
a god of plugue in water. Then, one of them became
a small thing that settled in a person's house and
attracted children and made them cry at night.
Therefore, in the New Year, he ordered Mr. Hosou
to perform a ritual of religion and drive away the
epicdemic god.
(Translated from Chinese into Japanese by Akira
Takeda, Toyobunko "Soshinki", published by
Heibonsha. Translated into English by Tadami
Yamada.)

This ritual came to Japan, and on the even of the
beginning of spring, that is, on the eve of the
season (Setubun), a "Tsuina-shiki (nuo folk religion
ceremony" was held in which beans were sprinkled
at each shrine and temple to drive away the disaster.

However, according to the "Kokin-yoran-ko (An-
cient-and-Currenr Handbook Manuscript(" compiled
by Hirokata Yashiro at the order of the Tokugawa
Shogunate from 1821 to 1842, Setsubun and Tsuina
are performed in same way as posterity. The Tsuina
during the Heian period was held only on New Year's
Eve in December, not on other days. It is said that
he was clearly discriminated against Setsubun.
Furthermore, as the times went down, soybeans
began to be sprinkled on Setsubun, which is based
on the "Gokanjo (Hou han shu)", that is, "以赤丸五穀
播漉之 (akamaru gokoku wo motte, kore wo uhi-
maku. : Toranslated Chainese into Japamese reading.
/English: sprinkled red beans of five ereals)". However,
it is not clear when soybeans were sown in Japan.
It was.

Anyway, in the Heian period, at the palace and
aristocratic residences, a holly and a head of Nayoshi
(fish gray mullet) were inserted into the gate for the
religion event. This is also written in "Tosanikkii (Tosa
diary". Eventually, the times went down, and in the Edo
period, it became a custom of the common people,
and instead of a gray mullet, peple began to use the
head of a sardine, There may be some regions where
this custome still remains.

By the way, my family haven't the habit of eating
"Ehomaki (old rice ,fride egg, and many kind of
vegetable etc., rolled in dried seaweed)" for a long
time. I think my late father and mother didn't know
"Ehomaki" either. I kew it about 20 years ago, I think
I was over 50 years old. I see it in supermarkets
and convenience stores these days, but I have never
bought it. It may be better to say that it is not of
my interest. And when I learned how to eat "Eho-
maki", I became "wow!" Somehow, the child is father
to the man, I cannot be imitated, and by anyone at
my home. Of course I like seaweed rolls. I like Tekka
Maki (raw tuna fish rolled in seaweed), and I also
like Futomaki (thick roll rice in seaweed).
However, I don't like Ehomaki's eating method. No
thanks.

I have doubts about this "Ehomaki" and eating
method. In other worda, the question is that this
may have originated from so-called idea products
and their sales strategies, which were devised by
stores that handle delicatessen items such as
supermarkers in recent years.
This is because books on folk religion (for
example, Tokutaro Sakurai's "Folk Religion Dic-
tionary" published by Tokyodo Publishing Co.,
Ltd., 1980) also have a description of "Eho (lacky
direction)", but "Ehomaki" is turned to the direv-
tion of auspiciousness. It is not stated that there
is a custom of one mouth and eating one thick
seaweed roll.
"Eho (lacky direction)" is the direction controlled
by the god of sacredness in Onmyodo, and can be
combined with the 12 zodiac signs. It is because
of this combination that the directions are differ-
ent every year. In rural areas, on this day, a ground-
breaking of the year to pray for a good harvest.
Also, although not limited to the Setsubun day, I,
myself, had met once to people who have the
custom of laughing toward the east before eating
the first crop of the seson.

I guess as follows. "Ehomaki" was created by a
food company in the Kansai region, inspired by
Korean gimbap and Japanese sushi rolls, based on
the Onmyodo belief in Eho belief and the custom of
laughing eastward when eating the first crop in the
season. Isn't it a new custo that started as a strate-
gic product?
How is it?

【Senryu】

(The custom of eating beans as many as one's age)
Mamemaki ya nanajyuuroku wo shijyu ni su

Sowing beans. Changing my 76 years old
to 40 durling eating beans,
because I can't eat it number of my age

Mamemaki ya fusensyugisha no waga kuchi e

Setsubun ceremony.
To the sowing of beans
and my mouth of a paicfist

Oniyarai misairu utedo oni mo izu

Shooting demons
and missiles,
but no demons anywhere

Mame kueba hara fukurunari boke seiji

If you eat beans,
you will feel a full stomach
with indignation for stupid politics

Tsuinashiki soryo kan'nushi karasawagi
Mamede korona-ka harae mo sumai

A storm in a tea cup
from Buddhist monk and Shinto priest
Could't exorcise Corona virus disaster
with sowing beans

Tadami Yamada

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