Autumn in Japan

Article by Kaori

1. Shokuyoku no Aki - 食欲の秋 [Autumn Appetite]
2. Aki No Nanakusa -秋の七草 [Seven Autumn Herbs]
3. Most Famous Autumn Events and Activities
4. Items Remind You of Autumn in Japan

About the Author

Every season has a unique and mysterious beauty in Japan. Hot and sweaty summer has left, and autumn finally came. Aki[秋] means autumn in Japanese. Let's learn how people enjoy and relax in autumn in Japan.

1. Shokuyoku no Aki - 食欲の秋 [Autumn Appetite]

In Japan, there is a saying as "Shokuyoku no Aki". It means everybody gets a healthy appetite in autumn. It is probably because the weather gets cooler, and it is the harvest season for some veggies and fruits. Even though you can find veggies and fruits all year long, especially in autumn some foods taste better such as chestnuts [kuri -栗 / くり], sweet potatoes [satsumaimo -さつま芋 / さつまいも ], saury [sanma -秋刀魚], persimmons [kaki -柿 / かき ], mushrooms [matsutake -松茸 / まつたけ], apples [Ringo -りんご], grapes [Yama budo -ヤマブドウ ], and pumpkin [kabocha -かぼちゃ, パンプキン], etc. What are Japanese people's favorite dishes and desserts made from these ingredients? Let's have a look.

They like eating roasted sweet potatoes and grilled saury flavored with salt or some soy sauce. They use newly harvested sweet potatoes to make Kintsuba which is a kind of wagashi(Japanese sweet).





Matsutake mushrooms are so expensive that they can be given as a gift to be used in soups or eaten after they are grilled.


The persimmon harvest is from October to November at Wakayama and Nara. In the countryside, people dry them to use all winter long, and dried persimmons are called hoshigaki. It contains vitamin C, so it helps you to stay away from sickness when the weather suddenly changes in the autumn. They use persimmons to make a type of yokan called mushi-yokan in the autumn.



Grapes are mainly from Yamanashi and Nagano, and harvest season starts from August to October.

When Halloween comes, of course, we should think of pumpkins. So, like anywhere else in autumn, there are pumpkin-flavored products in Japan for the whole season. You can find puddings, yokan, and cheesecakes with pumpkin flavored for starters.


And of course, Japanese people love chestnuts. If I say it is representative of the autumn taste, probably, I won't be mistaken. Kuri dorayaki, Kuri yokan, Kuri Gohan, and Mont Blanc desserts are some of the most popular foods and desserts in Japan.



The autumn sake, which goes well with fish and meat dishes, is called hiyaoroshi (ひやおろし), It is only available from September to November.

2.Aki No Nanakusa -秋の七草 [Seven Autumn Herbs]

There are seven herbs known as Aki No Nanakusa [秋の七草]. They are not edible herbs, they are for viewing. Every one of them has a unique meaning too. Bush clover [Hagi – 萩] which represents a shy and thoughtful spirit; Japanese Pampas Grass [Obana/Susuki – 尾花/薄] which represents understanding someone's feelings and privacy; Kudzu [Kuzu – 葛] which represents treatment and sign of love; Japanese Dianthus [Nadeshiko – 撫子] which represents pure love and fearless; Patrinia Scabiosifolia [Ominaeshi – 女郎花] which represents to keep a promise and beauty; Eupatorium Fortunei [Fujibakama – 藤袴] which represents sweet memories and remembering someone; Balloon Flower [Kikyo – 桔梗] which represents sincerity and unchangeable love; are known as Aki No Nanakusa. (There are more meanings of the herbs, but I selected two of them for each.)

3. Most Famous Autumn Events and Activities

Because of the harvest, fruit picking and hiking are very popular autumn activities in Japan. It is recommended to visit an onsen (hot spring) after hiking. Autumn is not only about fruit and vegetable harvest but also about rice harvest, which is called Inekari [稲刈り], and new harvest rice is called Shinmai [新米].



But the really important activity people like doing in autumn is watching tree leaves changing colors, which is called Momijigari. Red and yellow colored foliage are called koyo[紅葉], and red maple leaves are called momiji[紅葉]. It is said that this custom began around the 8th century, and Momiji-gari which starts in mid-September and continues till early December, is the symbol of autumn.



Higan [彼岸] is a seven-day Buddhist memorial service that is held on the equinoxes. Ohagi is a sweet rice ball made from mochi and azuki beans. It is named after the flower hagi because Japanese people offer this sweet rice ball to their ancestor's graves in this period.
Otukimi (also known as Jugoya [十五夜]), which was brought to Japan by the Japanese ambassadors who visited China centuries ago, is a moon-viewing event for wishing for a rich harvest and prosperity for the upcoming year. During the Heian era, only noble people enjoyed this event but after the Edo period, people all around Japan started celebrating.



It is believed that rabbits were making rice cakes from the shadow of the full moon, which is why the rabbit motif is often used for Otukimi sweets. Otsukimi is celebrated on the 15th night of the 8th month, and the 13th night of the 9th month of Japan’s old lunar calendar.

As for the decoration of the event, they use tsukimi dango (rice dumplings) to represent the full moon and bring happiness and health, susuki to represent the bounty of rice plants, and taro root bulbs to represent the large and prosperous family.

While watching the full moon, they enjoy tsukimi dango with matcha tea or sake.

The Meguro Sanma Festival, which was started in 1996, is held near Meguro station in Tokyo in early September. Around 7,000 grilled sanma, which come from Iwate prefecture, are given away for free. This festival actually is related to an old rakugo story. Rakugo is a Japanese storytelling performance in theaters in the Edo period.



There were other Sanma festivals that started after 2000, but unfortunately due to the coronavirus, most of the festivals were canceled. So you should check out to learn if it is going to be held this year or not in the area before you visit.



Autumn also means watching sumo wrestling. Tokyo hosts the Sumo Wrestling Grand Tournament in September, and Fukuoka is home to the final Grand Tournament in November, which both happen for 15 days.



Because of the weather, autumn is the most comfortable season to exercise, read, and create art, basically we can call it enjoying life, there are three more idioms known about autumn: Supotsu no Aki (Autumn Sports), Dokusho no Aki (Autumn Reading), Geijutsu no Aki (Autumn Art). Sports Day (2nd Monday of October) and Culture Day (November 3rd) are celebrated nationally in the autumn.



We hope you could enjoy the autumn to the fullest.

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Items Remind You of Autumn in Japan

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