On Saturday I headed out to Seki with a bunch of other foreigners, to shop for washi (handmade Japanese paper) and learn how to make origami umbrellas from Chisako, the coolest paper-doll-making teacher in Japan. (Remember her? She taught me how to make this doll and this doll.) After that, we'd learn how to make sushi from her husband, in celebration of Setsubun.

But first...the paper. Oh, the paper. I'd been to Mino for the annual paper lantern festival, but I'd never stepped into its washi shops, probably because I knew I'd go crazy and want to buy everything. But in the end I only took home two big sheets.

I bought the red paper printed with morning glories in the middle.

After lunch (mentaiko pasta, yum!), we went back to Chisako's and trooped up to her craft room to learn how to make origami umbrellas, which look like they might be easy, but are actually ridiculously difficult. Here is a nice picture of the one I made, which only looks nice because you can't see the creased and ugly bottom side:

Really, it doesn't look so great if you peek under its skirts. But I have hope that future umbrellas will look a little better and am spurred on by the fact that Chisako's 80-year-old mother who has suffered a stroke is able to churn out perfect-looking umbrellas made from old calendars. I wish I was an ancient and awesome Japanese grandmother.

Anyway, after the umbrellas, we gathered in the kitchen to learn how to make inari-zushi and maki-zushi from Chisako's husband. The tradition on Setsubun is to eat an uncut maki-zushi while facing the lucky direction of that particular year. This year it was north-northwest.

I'm facing NNW, rest assured. You can see the scrapes on my hand and my nose from the bicycle fall!

You're also supposed to throw roasted soybeans while chanting, "Fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto!" (good luck in, devils out!) which we did right before leaving. Hopefully all this good luck rushing in will help me in my umbrella-making.

(You can see all my pictures from Saturday here.)