February 3rd is the day of Setsubun (節分).
Setsu (節) means season.
Bun (分) means division.
Setsubun refers to the day before the beginning of each season (spring, summer, autumn and winter). The first day of spring is the most special day because the Japanese new year used to be started on the first day of spring.
It is believed that Oni (a devil-like creature from Japanese folklore) come when the seasons change in Japan.
To get rid of the Oni, people scatter roasted soy beans both inside and outside of their houses.
Once the beans are thrown, gather them all up and eat the same number of beans as your age. Let’s eat one extra to keep you from sickness and stay healthy for the whole year.
More information about Setsubun: https://english.cheerup.jp/article/1437?page=2
Soybean has been used for not only being scattered on February 3rd but also be processed like Tofu, Natto, Miso, Soy sauce and so on.
Japan imports soybean from US, Brazil, Canada and China.
| in 2017 | (unit: 1000t) |
| Total demand | 3,573 |
| Produced in Japan | 245 |
| Self-sufficiency rate | 7% |
source: https://www.maff.go.jp/j/seisan/ryutu/daizu/attach/pdf/index-120.pdf
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