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The best things to do in Japan in the fall

Sayaka Okumura • Nov 04, 2020

What are best things to do in fall in Japan?
~Fall of [ XX ] ~

Although the fall season is very short in Japan, there are many things that you can enjoy! In this blog, we will introduce you to 4 Japanese idioms about fall. These idioms follow the pattern of ”~〇〇の秋” ([ XX ] no Aki) which means "The Autumn of [ XX ]". They highlight 4 of the best things to do in the Fall season, particularly in Japan.

The 4 idioms are as follows:

食欲の秋（”Shokuyoku no Aki”） meaning The Autumn of appetite
スポーツの秋（”Supotsu no Aki”） meaning The Autumn of sports
読書の秋（”Dokusho no Aki”） meaning The Autumn of book reading
芸術の秋（”Geijutsu no Aki”） meaning The Autumn of art

Let's look at the roots of each idiom.

1. Shokuyoku no Aki (Autumn Appetite)

Just like animals such as bears, squirrels and boars that hibernate during winter, humans also instinctively increase their appetite to store fat in their bodies in preparation. In Japan, there are many seasonal foods for fall such as chestnuts, sweet potatoes, saury, oysters, persimmons, mushrooms, apples and pears, etc. Fruit picking and hiking are very popular activities. You will find a lot of seasonally-flavored products in shopping areas as well.

2. Supotsu no Aki (Autumn Sports)

Needless to say, fall is the most comfortable season to exercise compared to the crazy hot & humid summer, and snowy winter in Japan. However, the root of this idiom is tied to the Tokyo Olympic Games held in the Fall of 1964. October 10th, when the opening ceremony was held, was selected as a national holiday called “体育の日”(“Taiiku no Hi”) meaning Sports Day, and the trend of actively participating in sports in the Fall spread nationally. Now, the holiday is set as the 2nd Monday of October every year and many Japanese schools hold sports festivals around this time.

3. Dokusho no Aki (Autumn Reading)

There is a famous poem that was written by Kanyu in the later 700s in China. The poem notes “The fall is the best season to read books under light during the night.” Since the famous Japanese novelist, Natsume Soseki, referenced this poem in his novel, this trend became a popular activity especially in fall. Scientific research has found that Fall has the best conditions for people to focus, with an ideal temperature of 18 degree Centigrade and low humidity. October 27th to November 9th is set as “fall reading weeks” in Japan and many book stores and schools encourage people to read more books at this time.

4. Geijutsu no Aki (Autumn Art)

The phrase of “Autumn Art” was used in a famous magazine issued in 1918 in Japan. This is said to be the root of the movement to enjoy art in the Fall stemming from the same reason that reading is preferred at this time, the season and weather is well suited for concentration. Many art museums open for free on November 3rd, the national holiday known as Culture Day in Japan, and there are many art exhibitions held during this season as well. It is said that 20~22 degrees with less than 50% humidity is the best condition for creating detailed artwork as well.

So, now is the time to get the most out of Fall and maybe find your own Autumn enjoyment.

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