【Life in November】Enjoy the deepening autumn of Japan!

Shichi-Go-San (Shichigosan) is a Japanese annual event that celebrates the growth of children at the ages of 7, 5, and 3. The celebration involves visiting shrines and temples for the Shichi-Go-San ceremony.

The leaves of the Momiji as a kind of maple tree turn red around November, reaching their peak viewing season. People enjoy the autumn foliage in many places, including mountains, shrines, temples, and parks.

The leaves of the ginkgo tree turn yellow around November, reaching their peak viewing season. Ginkgo trees are widely planted in parks and along roadsides. Although the fallen fruits can be smelly, you can still enjoy the beautiful yellow foliage even in urban areas.

The reason “Good Couple Day” is on November 22 is based on a Japanese wordplay. In Japanese, November 22 can be read as “11 (ii) 22 (fufu),” which sounds like “good couple.” This wordplay led to the establishment of the day to celebrate happy couples.

Hoshi-Gaki as Dried persimmon is a traditional Japanese food. It is made from astringent persimmons, which cannot be eaten raw. However, they become edible after being peeled and dried. It is a very sweet winter delicacy.

Tori no Ichi is a festival held at shrines and temples on the days of the rooster in November every year. At this festival, markets are set up to sell kumade (rakes), which are considered lucky charms for prosperous business and happiness in the coming year.

Satsumaimo (sweet potato) was introduced to Satsuma Province (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) during the Edo period via the Ryukyu Kingdom (present-day Okinawa Prefecture). The name means ‘potato that spread nationwide from the Satsuma Domain.