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You are here: Home / Acupuncture / Changing Seasons in Ancient Japan

October 14, 2020 By Kathleen Port, L.Ac.

Changing Seasons in Ancient Japan

an elegant lunch presentation features a fried ginkgo leaf in fall yellow, ginkgo nuts speared with pine needles, and mushrooms, garnished artfully with dried leaves and served on a giant leaf.
This elegant lunch is presented on a giant leaf, with artfully placed leaf garnishes, including a fried ginkgo leaf. The ginkgo nuts are speared with pine needles, accompanied by mushrooms.

What does a change of seasons look like in another environment, in another country? Are you curious? Depending on where you live, you may see things that remind you of home, similar but different. Getting a glimpse of another climate can be stimulating, relaxing and mind-opening all at once!  Any one of those reasons can provide a refreshing interlude in your day, or spark inspiration.

a fall dinner includes seasonal foods, plates that accent the color of fall leaves, seasonal garnishes of dried leaves and grain, and a poem about the changing colors on the mountain side.
This dinner presentation is a small work of art. The color of the plates, the garnishes, even a poem about the colors of fall on the mountain side.

Japanese culture is tuned to natural rhythms and cycles, evidenced by food choices, calligraphy, poetry and art, and even in kimono and wardrobe choices (beyond the practical considerations of rain, wind or sun). There is no doubt, when you look at the meals in these pictures what season it is.

I was fortunate to spend nearly three weeks in Japan last year, exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa and the countryside to the north, much of it on foot.

persimmons are harvested and hung outside in the crisp fall air to dry
Persimmons are harvested in the fall, and are hung to dry in the cool air. They are served at many meals during the season.

Although many of us are unable to travel now, I’ve enjoyed watching the Japanese seasons change this year with an app called 72 Seasons. So much more than just the five seasons (!) we observe in Classical Five Element acupuncture, or the four seasons familiar to most people, this app describes a year seen through the ancient Japanese calendar.  It begins with the weather and accompanying art, a description of something seasonal (like a festival), it includes poetry (often haiku) with commentary and a bio of the author.  You’re treated to some seasonal food information accompanied by lovely pictures. Some weeks include a seasonal activity.  This gives me a delightful visual and mind break from my routine, and for a short while I am transported.

mushrooms grow on logs along foot paths in the north country.
Mushrooms grow along foot paths in the woods and fields. They are served often in October and November.

During my too-short stay in Japan, we had many fall dishes that featured chestnuts, persimmon, ginkgo nuts and mushrooms.  Visits to tea pavilions featured fall-themed art and calligraphy, and arrangements displaying fall flowers and grasses.  The ceramic cups used to serve tea have seasonal decorations or colors, and noting and appreciating them are part of the pleasure of the ceremony.  The sweets served with tea carried through the seasonal food themes as well.

And although it was Fall, preparations for winter were also visible, as gardens and trees were being prepared for the colder weather, with elaborate protections against the weight of the snow.  Pine needles were being trimmed, branches were stabilized with poles, platforms were erected over some trees (a little roof overhead) and others had tee-pee like structures for protection.

a small teapot holds a savory and delicate mushroom broth, a single serving, to be garnished wth a wedge of citrus
A Buddhist vegetarian restaurant served a multi-course lunch which featured a seasonal delicate broth of savory mushroom in a small teapot, with a citrus garnish.

In acupuncture theory, nothing is static, cycles are constantly in flux, even if the changes are only incremental. So even though it seems like we’ve just welcomed fall, we know that winter is up ahead. Look at the times the sun is rising and setting and you’ll see it change daily by minutes. Although check it on November 1st, and it will fall back by an hour!

What seasonal memory do you have from your childhood or a place you lived previously?

 

Filed Under: Acupuncture, mind, seasonal therapy Tagged With: chestnuts, Fall, ginkgo nuts, haiku, Japan, Kanazawa, Kyoto, mushrooms, persimmon, seasonal changes, tea, tea ceremony, Walk Japan

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Comments

  1. Ginger London says

    October 14, 2020 at 8:13 am

    This was quite interesting.

    • Kathleen Port, L.Ac. says

      October 14, 2020 at 10:48 am

      I hope you notice some Fall distinctions where you live, and enjoy them!

  2. Roy A Ackerman, PhD, EA says

    October 14, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    I prefer my seasons in real life!

    • Kathleen Port, L.Ac. says

      October 15, 2020 at 12:47 pm

      I agree, and I embrace other options to experience the change of seasons, too.

  3. Martha says

    October 14, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    I like the lunch served on the giant leaf! It’s interesting to learn about other cultures.

    • Kathleen Port, L.Ac. says

      October 15, 2020 at 12:45 pm

      Lunch as art! Makes it more delicious!

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