oni
When your kids are acting like devils, Oni kara Denwa dispatches a demon to set them straight.
From ogre teachers to desserts in the dark, the SoraNews24 team shares their Setsubun styles.
Unfortunately, kids in northern Japan don’t get a pass this year from the UNESCO-recognized, fearsome namahage.
February is a hard month to face, so why not put on a mask and greet it looking like something else?
Japan has a custom of shouting “Out with the demons!” in early February, but all we can say is “Awwwwwww!”
If Sunkus’ Red-Oni-Pants-Lookin’ Bread and Pom Pom Purin’s Purin Purin! Butt Cakes are any indication, 2016 is shaping up to be a great year for baked goods.
When you really think about them, even the traditions and practices that we each grew up with and seem perfectly normal are kind of odd. Easter, once solely the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, now sees us telling children that a benevolent rabbit came in the night to leave them chocolate eggs. Christmas takes us even further into the world of fantasy as kids grow up thinking that a magical man who lives in the North Pole works a team of elves all year round to make presents for them, delivering said gifts across the world in a single night via flying woodland beasts, despite the man himself likely having respiratory problems owing to his XXL frame.
Although Japan doesn’t really do Christmas, it does have a plenty of its own traditions and yearly celebrations, and it just so happens that today is one of them. Setsubun, or the spring bean-throwing festival, sees children yelling at and peppering fictional demons with handfuls of roasted beans, and families sitting down to eat enormous pieces of maki, or roll, sushi, often adhering to peculiar local traditions as they do.
Tag is a childhood game loved worldwide although known by different names depending on the region, and Japan is no exception. Here the game is known as oni gokko (demon play) and follows the same rules aside for the “it” person being called oni, which translates to a demon but is probably more akin to an ogre.
If you happen to be in the Gunma area this month and want to relive some childhood fun playing a classic game, Gunma University and J.League soccer team Thespa Kustasu Gunma are working to set up a Guinness World Record breaking game of Oni Gokko.
MOST POPULAR
Today
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo
Farewell Final Ceremony announced for Tokyo’s life-size Gundam statue, will stream live
Hikaru Utada sings new song in Shinkansen commercial for Japan’s Supreme Class cabins
Foreign travelers arrested in Japan following smash-and-grab robbery in Tokyo shopping mall
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport opens new Terminal 1 North Satellite next month
Pizza Hut Japan creates moon-viewing sukiyaki chrysanthemum pizza for tsukimi season
Anime and Hollywood movies cross over in new Universal Studios Japan merch collection
Starting this fall, you’ll be able to take a Pokémon Jet flight to Japan
Nonstop flights from U.S. to Okinawa return after 54 years, making travel faster than before
Weekly
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon- Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Nike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Police in Japan looking for who’s responsible for dumping 80 loaves of bread on side of road [Video]
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen- Farewell Final Ceremony announced for Tokyo’s life-size Gundam statue, will stream live
Monthly
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama- 7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat- Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars- Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport opens new Terminal 1 North Satellite next month
Pizza Hut Japan creates moon-viewing sukiyaki chrysanthemum pizza for tsukimi season
Anime and Hollywood movies cross over in new Universal Studios Japan merch collection
Starting this fall, you’ll be able to take a Pokémon Jet flight to Japan
Nonstop flights from U.S. to Okinawa return after 54 years, making travel faster than before
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Starbucks Japan adds a gooey sweet potato Frappuccino to its menu this autumn
Family Mart reveals new T-shirt uniforms, relaxes hair colour rules for staff… but is it all too casual?
Godiva Japan hops into tsukimi season with bunny and moon-themed chocolate assortments
McDonald’s Japan reveals exclusive new Tsukimi moon viewing collection for 2026
Tokaido Lumière Express: Stay overnight inside the Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo
No, Japan’s prime minster did not make friends with a cockroach, despite what you may have heard
Ministop brings bulked up Okinawan-style rice balls to mainland Japan for one week only
Starbucks Japan adds new Customisation Bar to stores, with free ways to hack your food and drink orders
-
