As I've written in previous posts, Setsubun observances these days are much less about driving out evil than gobbling down (supposedly fortunate) ehomaki.

No surprise then that some of Tokyo's high-end sushiya are getting in on the act.

I happened to be in Ginza this afternoon and was feeling peckish as I wandered past the front door of Kyubey. They had just the thing for me: their ehomaki are a whole different league from the mass-market versions sold in the conbini stores.

Not cheap, at ¥3,159 for a pair of plump sushi rolls (or really two halves of the same long maki). But I was confident it would be premium quality, and so it turned out to be.

The thing is, though, you have to face the right auspicious direction as you eat them. So I repaired to one of the nearby buildings to get my bearings...

The Komatsu Building is better known for its occupants, Dover Street Market, Comme des Garçons and Rose Bakery. Rather less famous is the fact that it has an open rooftop with its own Shinto shrine, some nice turf and an ume tree that is just now bursting into blossom. The local Ginza honey bees were enjoying it just as much as me.

Another bonus point; they have placed a couple of thick tree trunks for use as benches. So I unwrapped my gourmet ehomaki, pointed myself in the lucky direction (East-Northeast this year – kind of towards the back of the Uniqlo Building) and gobbled my maki without any further ado. In silence (another essential requirement).

It was definitely superior – stuffed with prawns, anago eel, tamagoyaki omelette and more – and even came with gari ginger on the side.

Auspiciously good.