JCC E-Magazine November 2022

In Japan, it is said that autumn is the best season to enjoy food, sports, reading and so on. This is especially due to the cooler climate after the hot, humid summer, when one’s appetite is whet and it is more comfortable to carry out recreational activities. With regards to sports, another special reason is because the opening ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games took place on 10 October. Thus, the day was designated as a national holiday. Today, the date has been shifted to the second Monday of October and is known as “Sports Day”. As for reading, schools encourage it between late October to November by designating a reading week. This was originally influenced by Chinese poet Han Yu, who wrote that autumn evenings are ideal for reading a book by the candlelight.

Autumn has always been associated with bountiful harvest, so it should not come as a surprise that one develops “autumn appetite” during the fall season. It is also when we frequently see seasonal delicacies such as persimmons, pumpkin, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, matsutake mushrooms, apples, pears and grapes. You may even find maple leaf served in dishes not as decoration, but served as edible tempura. Besides that, fish such as pacific saury, mackerel and sardines are likely to be served as they have the right amount of fat then.

Naturally, one can expect many food-related festivals in Japan around this time too. For example, the Sapporo Autumn Festival is the biggest food festival held in Hokkaido from September to October, and features the best food the prefecture has to offer. In Kochi Prefecture, there is the Tosa no Hojyosai, which literally means the harvest festival of Tosa. Held in multiple locations across the prefecture between September to November, visitors can enjoy the autumn flavours at outdoor markets and food stalls. Even if you can only visit Tokyo, there are still opportunities to enjoy the festive spirit and delicious food, one of which is the Tokyo Ramen Festa held in late October to November. Being the biggest event dedicated to ramen, visitors can savour the different ramen specialities from all over Japan without leaving Tokyo!

Moreover, rice is newly harvested during the fall season, and known as shinmai (新米). The fresh rice harvest is said to taste softer and sweeter in comparison, and is only available from September to December. Takikomi gohan (炊き込みご飯) is especially fragrant in autumn when you pair shinmai with seasonal root vegetables and mushroom. Speaking of rice, one will think of sake too. There is also seasonal sake only available in autumn, specifically hiyaoroshi (ひやおろし), which literally means “cold sake wholesale”. During the Edo period, sake had to be reheated in summer before being shipped out in order to avoid letting it spoil. However, this does not apply when it is autumn, and thus the name came about. The hiyaoroshi variety is usually only pasteurised once, and has a fresher and milder taste.

Autumn is certainly an ideal time to appreciate the many flavours of Japan. No matter which region you visit, there is bound to be a seasonal treat to enjoy!

Resources

“Autumn Appetite”. 2022. Kids Web Japan. Accessed 14 October. https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/october/appetite.html.

“Why Japanese autumn has seasonal unique expressions?”. 2020. Waku Waku. Accessed 14 October. https://wakuwaku.today/information/why-japanese-autumn-has-seasonal-unique-expressions-1Vz9AHl7.

“Autumn in Japan”. 2015. OISHII. https://www.oishii.sg/article/577/.

Jena, Nupur. 2018. “10 Seasonal Autumn Foods To Savor In Japan”. MATCHA. https://matcha-jp.com/en/6640.

“Japan’s Hottest and Freshest Ingredients for Fall Season – Top Gourmet Festivals for Foodies!”. 2022. Japan National Tourism Organization. Accessed 14 October. https://www.japan.travel/en/my/experiencing-traditional-events-matsuri/japans-hottest-and-freshest-ingredients-for-fall-season-top-gour/.

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