Ehomaki takes center stage for Setsubun 2026

A new nationwide survey by Iko-Yo Family Lab suggests that eating ehomaki has become the main way families plan to celebrate Setsubun at home in 2026, even surpassing traditional bean throwing in many households.

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According to the survey of 725 families with children, over 64% plan to eat ehomaki on Setsubun this year, showing that the custom has firmly taken root as something parents want to pass on to the next generation. While bean throwing is still widely experienced at places like kindergartens and nursery schools, ehomaki is now the most common activity undertaken at home.

For busy families, convenience is a big part of the celebration, too. Around 60% of surveyed households buy their ehomaki from supermarkets or convenience stores, rather than making it from scratch.