World Pulses Day

February 10th is a big day of anniversaries. There are more than 40 anniversaries each year on February 10th. Among them, there is one internationally recognized anniversary, and that is World Pulses Day (世界マメの日). 

The United Nations created this anniversary as an international observance to highlight the importance of beans and other pulses in global nutrition and sustainable agriculture. The term “pulses” refers to dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, and similar crops, and the English name is officially World Pulses Day. In Japanese, the day is sometimes called 世界マメの日, literally “World Bean Day.”

Japan has its own quiet but meaningful connection to this theme. Beans are deeply woven into Japanese food culture, from azuki in traditional sweets to soybeans used in tofu, miso, and natto. Japan even has several bean‑related anniversaries, reflecting how central legumes are to everyday eating. While Japan doesn’t grow large quantities of pulses compared to other countries, it has a long history of using beans creatively and nutritionally.