Ehomaki (good fortune rolls) are traditionally eaten on the evening of Setsubun, which is the day before the first day of spring according to the old Japanese calendar (Feb. 3). If you want to maximise the amount of good luck you get out of your ehomaki, there are some rules you’ll have to follow: eat your roll in silence whilst making a wish (it’s even better luck if you can eat it in one go); while eating, make sure to face the direction selected for that year’s Setsubun (this year’s direction is south-southeast); finally, you absolutely must not cut your roll – cutting the ehomaki will also cut off your luck (this unfortunately also means no sharing – strictly one roll per person)! For the couple of days leading up to Setsubun, Hakata Hankyu will be selling over 70 different kinds of unusual ehomaki, focusing on the theme of “fashionable sushi rolls”. Try Hokushin Sushi’s rolls (pictured), which use luxurious belly cuts of fish and are topped with gold and silver flakes (on Feb. 3, only ten sets will be sold). Sushi Fujiken will sell king crab ehomaki (but don’t wait till the last minute – there will only be five rolls available on Feb. 3). You will also be able to buy rolls which contain seven ingredients, corresponding to the seven deities of good fortune.
• 2/1 (Mon.) ~ 2/3 (Wed.)
• 10:00~21:00
• Hakata Hankyu
• 1-1 Hakataekichuogai, Hakata-ku
• 092-461-1381
• http://www.hankyu-dept.co.jp/hakata/
