Japan has a custom of shouting “Out with the demons!” in early February, but all we can say is “Awwwwwww!”

Setsubun, which takes place on February 3 in Japan, is a pretty cool holiday. You may not get the day off, but It combines all the fun of throwing things (beans, to be precise) and eating luxurious sushi, and you can do it all in the knowledge that your actions are banishing oni, or demons, from your household while ushering in good fortune for the year.

▼ An oni, easily identified by his horns, unkempt hair, spiked club, and tiger-striped (possibly delicious) pants.

OB 1

Sadly, a lot of the fun of Setsubun is lost on infants, since they lack the muscular coordination to throw and aren’t yet ready for solid food. Osaka resident and Japanese Twitter user @mn_yk217, though, found that the babies at her neighborhood’s obstetrics and gynaecology were celebrating in their own way.

https://twitter.com/mn_yk217/status/694872168962732032

The tiny little patients were dressed in oni costumes, complete with wigs, made by the facility’s nursing staff during their downtime. They were even provided with cuddly plush ehomaki sushi rolls, which were thick enough so as not to be a choking hazard.

If you’ve ever had to care for fussy, colicky babies, you might have caught yourself exasperatedly thinking of them as little monsters. When they’re this cute, though, it’s hard to see them as anything other than a blessing, and we’re sure their parents are happy to have these tiny oni be a part of their lives, even on Setsubun.

Source: Hamster Sokuho, Twitter/@mn_yk217
Insert image: Irasutoya