Get Fired Up with Setsubun Quizzes! A Collection of Fun Questions to Enjoy with Kids

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

Here are some Setsubun quizzes perfect for enjoying with children.

They’re full of questions that will make everyone exclaim “What?!” like “What fish do ogres (oni) hate?” and “How many kinds of fillings go in an ehomaki?” While playing, kids can learn about Japanese traditional customs such as the origins of bean-throwing and the rules of ehomaki.

With various formats like true/false and multiple choice, they’re useful in many settings, such as Setsubun events or morning meetings.

Be sure to try them together with the kids!

Get hyped with Setsubun quizzes! A fun set of questions to enjoy with kids (1–10)

From which country was the culture of Setsubun introduced?

South Korea
America
China

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China

The culture of Setsubun was brought to Japan from ancient China. In China, it was believed that at the turning of the seasons, bad things could easily enter, and there were rituals to drive away evil spirits like demons. This was introduced to Japan, and by the Heian period it had become a court ceremony; it then developed into Setsubun, in which beans are scattered with the chant, “Demons out, good fortune in.”

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kepiko

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Why do people scatter beans on Setsubun?

To stay young
So that everyone can get along
So as not to get sick

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So as not to get sick

People scatter beans on Setsubun to avoid getting sick. In the past, people believed that demons (oni) brought illnesses and other misfortunes. So they scattered beans, which were thought to have power, to drive the demons away and keep their bodies healthy. Bean-throwing carries the wish that everyone will stay healthy throughout the year.

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kepiko

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What beans are used for mamemaki?

adzuki (red bean)
edamame
soybean

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soybean

We use roasted soybeans. By the way, these beans prepared by roasting are called “fukumame.”

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SAKI

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Get hyped with Setsubun quizzes! A fun set of questions to enjoy with kids (11–20)

You eat as many beans as your age. True or false?

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The correct answer is to eat a number of beans equal to your age plus one.

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SAKI

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What animal are an oni’s horns and fangs said to come from?

Reindeer antlers and elephant tusks
The antlers and tusks of a deer
Cow horns and tiger fangs

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Cow horns and tiger fangs

The Ox-Tiger direction of the twelve zodiac signs is the northeast, which is said to be where ogres come from, so it’s said to have the ox’s horns and the tiger’s fangs.

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SAKI

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What kind of beans are thrown during Setsubun?

soybean
adzuki beans
chickpea

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soybean

The beans scattered during Setsubun are soybeans. Since long ago, soybeans have been considered good for the body and powerful. The word for “beans” is also linked to the phrase meaning “to vanquish demons,” and they have been believed to have the power to drive away ogres and evil. For this reason, soybeans are scattered during Setsubun to pray for a healthy and energetic year.

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kepiko

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What are sardines and what else used as talismans against evil during Setsubun?

pine tree; to wait (depends on context)
holly
hinoki

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holly

For warding off evil during Setsubun, people use sardines and holly. People in the past believed that demons disliked holly leaves because their tips are sharp. The smell of sardines was also thought to repel demons, so they would stick a sardine head onto a holly branch and display it at the entrance of the house. This practice is a way to keep demons and bad things from entering the home and to ensure everyone stays healthy.

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kepiko

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