Japanese Culture

In Japan, we call this season’s nights as “aki no yonaga” meaning long autumn nights in English.
It refers to the period when the nighttime becomes longer as autumn deepens and people find it pleasant, generally from the autumnal equinox (around September 23), when the length of day and night are about the same, to the first day of winter (around November 7), the beginning of winter.

It is also meant to be a time to “take care of oneself” and rest the body and mind after the heat of summer, and people can spend the nighttime in comfort.

Since the nights are long this time of year, it is perfect to enjoy reading, watching movies, studying, or taking a long and relaxing bath.

Yesterday (Oct 6th) was the day of “Chushu no meigetsu,” which is said to be the best day to watch the moon according to the traditional Japanese lunar calendar. Why don’t you buy some sweets, let’s say rice dumplings, and enjoy watching the beautiful moon?

There are several phrases to express the joy of Autumn, after the tough summer heat.
We’ll end by introducing four popular phrases;

-Shokuyoku (appetite) no Aki: There are several theories, like the lower temperatures and higher basal metabolism increase appetite, the animal instinct to store nutrients for the winter, or due to the decrease in daylight hours, serotonin also decreases and leads to an increase in appetite. Also, it is because Autumn is the harvest season, and it is full of delicious things!
-Sports no Aki: Cool and comfortable season to play sports.
-Dokusyo (reading) no Aki
-Geijutu (art) no Aki