Setsubun is the Japanese festival associated with eating uncut ehomaki sushi rolls. The custom is traditionally observed on Setsubun, the seasonal day before the beginning of spring in Japan’s old lunisolar calendar.
Ehomaki means “lucky direction roll.” People commonly eat the large roll while facing that year’s auspicious direction, determined through the traditional cycle of zodiac signs and calendrical calculations. The roll is usually kept whole and eaten without cutting, because slicing it is popularly thought to cut off good fortune.
Setsubun is also famous for mamemaki, the ceremony of scattering roasted soybeans to drive away oni, or demons, and invite luck into the home. Ehomaki became especially associated with Setsubun through traditions from the Kansai region, later spreading nationwide through supermarkets and convenience stores.
The filling is not fixed everywhere, although seven ingredients are often used in connection with the Seven Lucky Gods. Typical fillings may include cooked egg, shiitake mushrooms, kanpyo, cucumber, eel, and seafood. Ehomaki should not be confused with everyday makizushi: its festival timing, lucky direction, and uncut presentation are the defining clues.