In Japan, mid- to late March is both graduation season and the time when schools and companies hold welcoming ceremonies for new entrants. Such occasions entail gifts (usually money) presented to students or newbie workers and gatherings (mostly family) where sekihan, a traditional dish of sticky rice tinted red by adzuki red beans, is often served.

Many Asian cultures including Japan associate red with felicity, good fortune and the power to repel evil spirits. That is why red-colored foods, with hues ranging from crimson and pink to orange and maroon, are served during celebrations.

To make sekihan, small adzuki beans are precooked to release a deep red liquid that is used to tint the rice as it steams. A variety of adzuki known as sasage mame is especially prized for its bright color and ability to hold its shape well throughout the cooking process. Sekihan is made with mochigome (glutinous rice), sometimes in combination with uruchimai (ordinary table rice).

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