…の秋：― no Aki (Fall, the Season of ―)

Fall is the season of the harvest, when the abundance of Mother Nature is most apparent. After the scorching summer, pleasant winds and clear skies make this season a particular favorite one in Japan. Many Japanese phrases contain “―no Aki” (meaning “fall, the season of ―”). For gourmets, it might be minori no Aki or shokuyoku no Aki (“fall, the best season of the harvest and the appetite”). Along with the freshest batch of rice, foodstuffs such as eggplants, saury fish, and mushrooms appear on dinner tables. The gentle weather of the season is reflected in phrases such as sports no Aki and koraku no Aki (“fall, the season of athletic activities and outdoor fun”). Yet another common phrase is dokusho no Aki (“fall, the season of reading”), since the long nights of autumn are conductive to intellectual activities. Similarly, during geijutsu no Aki (“fall, the season of the arts”), numerous educational institutions hold cultural festivals, while new operas, ballets, and dramas are put on by the New National Theatre, Tokyo. All of this and more awaits you In Tokyo this fall.

Updated: 28 September, 2017