"Shh! Don't Say a Word" Why Taking a Bite of a Whole Gimbap Roll Is a Mistake... The Ehomaki You See Everywhere in Japan Right Now [Sunday Japan Culture]

In Japan, a February custom of eating whole gimbap-like rolls
Eat it uncut and in silence, all at once
Praying for a year of unbroken ties and good fortune

"What is this... isn't this just gimbap?"

If you visit Japan in January or February, you will see a familiar-looking food lined up in convenience stores and supermarkets. Department store basement food halls sell gimbap, and convenience stores hang posters advertising pre-orders for something that looks just like gimbap.

Ehomaki eaten on Setsubun. Hankyupudeu.

This food, which looks like an uncut gimbap roll, is Japan's "Ehomaki." The key point is that you eat it as a whole roll. Thanks to the Korean Wave, some people these days even eat actual Korean gimbap instead. Today, let me introduce Japan's February custom of eating whole gimbap-like rolls.

In Japan, the day before the first day of spring is called "Setsubun." A special event is held on this day. This year, Setsubun fell on February 3. The reason this period is considered meaningful is that, in the lunisolar calendar, it used to be the day before the New Year. The calendar we use now is based on the solar calendar, so January 1 marks the New Year. However, in the old lunisolar calendar, the first day of spring was regarded as the start of the year. In other words, what used to be December 31 is what Setsubun corresponds to.

Illustration of a person eating Ehomakki on Secheubun. Iraseutoya.

Traditionally, when the year changes or the seasons shift, it is believed that bad spirits can easily enter. That is why Setsubun is observed as a New Year’s rite to drive away impending misfortune and disaster. There is a legend that demons roam around on the night of Setsubun, so on that night people throw beans around their homes while saying, "Demons out, fortune in," to chase the demons away.

The food eaten on Setsubun is Ehomaki. In Ehomaki, "Eho" refers to the direction where the deity in charge of that year's good fortune resides. Because it means the "benevolent direction," it is called Eho. This direction is determined each year according to the traditional calendar. This year, the Eho was "south-southeast." You are supposed to turn your body toward this direction and eat Ehomaki to fully receive the year's blessings. There is a reason the rolls are sold whole and not cut. You must stand facing the Eho, remain completely silent, and eat the entire Ehomaki in one go for your wish to come true. Not cutting it symbolizes not severing precious relationships.

There are no strict rules about what ingredients must go inside Ehomaki, so there is a wide variety of fillings. However, the standard is to use seven ingredients, in reference to the seven deities said to bring good fortune. It is considered an auspicious food that "rolls up fortune and puts it inside" and "does not cut off relationships."

Ahead of Setsubun, many convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan take pre-orders for Ehomaki. Since Ehomaki looks similar to gimbap and Korean food has recently become popular in Japan, more and more places are selling "gimbap Ehomaki." This year, 7-Eleven also offered Ehomaki with ingredients such as eel and rolled omelet, and even ran pre-order and sales campaigns for "Kimbap Ehomaki," saying that they had "turned Korean-style gimbap into Ehomaki."

Kimbap Ehomaki introduced by 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven.

Korean restaurants in Japan also ran limited-time gimbap sales during this period. At "Handsome," a pub chain that brands itself as a Korean-style bar, they introduced a gimbap Ehomaki filled with bulgogi, kimchi, bracken, spinach, imitation crab, fish cake, and pickled radish.

On top of this, a unique Ehomaki trend emerged this year. Since last year, Japan has been experiencing a continued "surge in rice prices." As rice prices went up, the price of Ehomaki naturally increased as well. According to a survey conducted by Teikoku Databank of supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurant chains nationwide, the average price of one Ehomaki sold this year is 1,173 yen (10,981 won), up 11.7% from last year.

As a result, many products that do not use rice or that use less rice have appeared. The supermarket chain Aeon introduced a "tacos Ehomaki" made by rolling ingredients in a tortilla. For its regular Ehomaki, which it had already been selling, Aeon reduced the amount of rice and made the rolls smaller. The convenience store chain Lawson launched Ehomaki made by blending U.S.-grown rice with domestically produced rice.

When you think about it, it may not matter much whether you eat a tortilla wrap or Korean gimbap instead of the Japanese-style roll. Some people even eat a Swiss roll cake instead of Ehomaki on that day, saying that anything long and rolled up will do. It is hard to imagine that good fortune on its way to you would suddenly turn back just because of that. What matters is not "what it is rolled with," but the heart with which you wish for New Year’s blessings and think of the people dear to you. Knowing that Korean gimbap is quietly playing a part on such an important day in Japan is enough to make one feel a bit proud.