JEGEEK1: 5 things you need to know about Ehou maki

Ehou Maki (恵方巻き) is a type of sushi roll whose name means "lucky direction roll". As a Japanese, it's really natural for us to buy one when it gets February 3rd (or some pre-order it at a shop beforehand). We can buy it everywhere like a supermarket, convenience store or even at a place like kiosk! But hey, all humans may wonder, why do we eat it? Who the hell decide "the lucky direction?" Why sushi roll, not sandwich? and why on this date when we call Setsu-bun(節分)? Let's find out...

1. Who the hell decide “the lucky direction?”

　This “lucky direction” is determined based on where “the god of happiness” called Toshitoku-jin(歳徳神) is located and it changes every year. Huh so, who can see which direction this god of happiness is? – It’s based on what we call Oriental Zodiac.

乙か庚の年（when the last number of year is 0 or 5）→庚の方位(west-southwest)

丙か辛の年（when the last number of year is 1 or 6）→丙の方位(south-southeast)

丁か壬の年（when the last number of year is 2 or 7）→壬の方位(north-northwest)

戊か癸の年（when the last number of year is 3 or 8）→丙の方位(south-southeast)

甲か己の年（when the last number of year is 4 or 9）→甲の方位(east-northeast)

　So it’s not like the god changes from places to places, the direction is rather “calculated” based on the old fortune telling kinda system.

2. Why it has to be this thick big sushi roll?

　This seems to be “depends on where we live” thing. Some eat big thick sushi roll, some eat thin sushi roll. However, the reason why it has to be sushi roll is because they need to put some ingredients inside something. You must have noticed there are lots of ingredients rolled up inside it and they all are believed to bring lucks. Since it sounds nicer to have all lucks “at one bite,” they put all ingredients together inside a sushi roll and MUNCH MUNCH!

3. Why we are not allowed to talk while eating it?

　Not to allow your happiness to go away from your body. So it’s simple, if you want to have more happiness then shut up and eat it. That is what they say at least.

4. When did we start doing this kind of non-sense?

　The origin of this Ehou-maki roll can be tracked back to Edo-period when people in a town in Osaka started eating a sushi roll with 7 ingredients which represent all Seven Deities of Good Fortune(七福神). And they were eating it by heading the “happy direction” where the god of happiness is. Everything is FOR GOOD LUCK.

However, the main reason why we do eat this roll these days is all thanks to a marketing policy of 7/11(convenience store). It’s said to have become popular after a convenience store in Hiroshima started selling the lucky direction roll in 1989.

5. Why on February 3^rd?

　You will see the reason if you know the meaning of this “Setsubun”(節分) thing. It literally means "seasonal division." And the new season was felt to be a time when the spirit world became close to the physical world. Therefore there are lots of things have been done on the day before the season to be changed into another one.

【Referrence】

60秒でわかる恵方巻講座 by Google+