[Setsubun Song] Demons out, fortune in! Bean-throwing songs to enjoy on Setsubun

Tango of the Red Ogre and the Blue OgreBito Isao

Tango of the Red Ogre and the Blue Ogre (from “Okaasan to Issho”)

Speaking of Setsubun, we think of ogres, and ogres usually conjure an image of harming people.

But the red ogre and blue ogre that appear in this song show us a delightfully humorous side as they dance a frenzy of tango under the moonlight.

The chorus, in particular, is richly tinged with tango and brims with passion.

The vocals are performed by Isao Bito, and the song was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta.”

Ready, set—Setsubun!Kumagai Tatsurou

Ready, set—Setsubun!

On the YouTube channel of Maruyanagi Oguraya Co., Ltd., a company that handles bean-related foods, this fun song about Setsubun has been released.

Titled “Se-no de Setsubun,” it features a catchy chant using the English word for soybeans, “soy.” The lyrics also include counting numbers and the classic Setsubun phrase “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (“Demons out, good fortune in”), making it a song kids can enjoy singing along to.

Surprisingly, Tatsuro Kumagai of the rock band Watanabe Flower wrote and composed the song.

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Hane Keisuke

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A Demon Parent and ChildMasuda Hiroko

Oni Parent and Child [Hand Play Song] Setsubun, February

A perfect fingerplay song for Setsubun, “Oni no Oyako” features a family of three ogres: Dad Ogre, Mom Ogre, and Child Ogre.

The song introduces the horns that each of the three has on their heads.

What sizes are their horns, and how powerful is the lightning they can flash depending on those sizes? The lyrics sing about each one’s unique traits.

As you sing, you use your hands to make horns and to create lightning.

It’s especially fun to sing together as a family, matching the ogre family in the song!

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SAKI

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Maki-Maki Song

Makimaki Song.wmv

This song, played in supermarkets and other places as a promotional tune for the sushi rolls of the Hiroshima-based food company Ajikan Co., Ltd., is a cute, poppy, and cheerful piece that kids will likely learn and hum along to.

Listening to it makes you crave sushi rolls!

The spring breeze gentlyHiyama Umekichi

Harue Momoyama’s Kouta Singing with Shamisen / The Spring Breeze Gently Blows

It’s a type of song called an Edo hauta, consisting of shamisen accompaniment and vocals.

Although the title evokes the beginning of spring, there’s wordplay using the familiar refrain “Fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto” (“Good fortune in, demons out”), likely because Setsubun marks the last day of winter.

The song is said to have been composed in the mid-Meiji period.

MomotaroSakushisha: fushō

[With Vocals] Momotaro (Peach Boy)

When it comes to Setsubun and ogres, Momotaro naturally comes to mind! The song tells the story of Momotaro setting off to slay the ogres with millet dumplings in hand, recruiting a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant as his companions, and heading to Onigashima.

For ogre-slaying, it’s got to be Momotaro! Bean-throwing is fun, but it’d be great if Momotaro could join us too.

Bean Squad BibinbeanSakushi: Morichiyoko / Sakkyoku: Kosugi Yasuo

Bean Squadron Bibin Bean - With Mother (Okaasan to Issho) - October 2017 Song

On Setsubun, people throw beans not only at home but also at nursery schools and kindergartens, right? If you have little kids, they might freeze up at the sight of the oni, and the moment they realize the ogre is scary, they’ll burst into tears and run away, won’t they? At times like that, put on “Omame Sentai Bibin Bean.” It’s sure to give them the courage to drive the ogre away!

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sasashina

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