For Everything, A Season

That little saying holds especially true for Japan – more true, perhaps, than in Western society. Japanese are very much aware of the passing seasons and the immanence of things. Style, food, activities, festivities, and new beginnings –they are all determined by the season. The spring and autumn equinox, in fact, are both so significant a day as to have been declared national holidays. The autumn equinox was on September 23, and so a full month has passed and October is now reaching its maximum autumnal glory – the days are much shorter and cooler, the rice has been harvested, and even here in mild Susono the leaves are changing colour.

One of the most obvious markers of the changing seasons is, oddly enough, the supermarket. Japanese food is mild and flavorful, and its true art can be found in the presentation and, of course, seasonality. Therefore, as summer turns to autumn, our local supermarket changes its food displays (yes, we display food here!). Gone are the luscious melons, sliced and set out to temp us; here are the kaki (Japanese Persimmons) and the matsutake mushrooms.

We are enjoying autumn, and appreciating all it has to offer while it is here. We, too, understand that before long, autumn will be a memory replaced by the colder months of winter.