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Hello! Welcome to our family's blog. Check here for photos, videos, and stories of Papa, Mama, Luke, and Max. You can also follow us on various social networking services by clicking one of the links below, or subscribe to our video podcast by searching for "Talandis Family in Japan" on iTunes. Thanks for stopping by and staying in touch!
Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune!  Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune!  Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune!  Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune!  Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune!  Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune!  Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune!  Happy Setsubun!  Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune. From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies.  Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school.  Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune! 

Happy Setsubun! 

Today (February 3rd) is Setsubun in Japan, the day of the national bean-throwing festival. On this day around the country, people throw roasted soy beans out the window or around the house to expel “demons” of sickness and misfortune. While doing so they yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (demons out, good fortune in) Then you’re supposed to eat a number of beans equal to your age in order to cement this good fortune.

From a western perspective, this is kind of strange, but the roots of this custom are quite interesting. There is also a lot of symbolic meaning behind it that makes a lot of sense when you look closely at it. According to “Japan from A to Z” by James and Michiko Vardaman, this festival originated in the imperial court of China on the last day of the year in order to prepare for a new year of good luck. When it came over to Japan, this custom became an expression of hopes for good weather and a plentiful harvest in rural, agrarian Japan. These days a lot of people observe it. You can find news on TV of people (especially kids) throwing beans, eating special sushi made with beans, or sumo wrestlers performing special ceremonies. 

Last Saturday, I went to Max’s kindergarten for a parent-student event. Parents and their kids spent the morning doing an arts & crafts project, namely to make oni (demon) masks out of an old paper bag and some string. You can see from the pictures above that we had a nice time. These oni masks were then used during the Setsubun celebration today at the school. 

Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!

Here’s hoping you have a year filled with good fortune! 

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