In the fall, the harvest of new rice is celebrated at temples and shrines and moon viewing, tsukimi, is all the rage.  Residents and visitors alike head out for walks in the parks of Tokyo to take in the colorful fall foliage with almost as much delight as when they head off to picnic under the cherry blossoms each spring. The changing colors of fall foliage is a beautiful sight no matter where you are and Japan is no exception.  The leaves of Japanese Maple trees make a gradual change from pale green to a fiery red each autumn and the Ginko leaves turn a lovely shade of yellow.  Consider a cruise down the Sumida River to Hamarikyu Detached Palace Garden or a visit to Rikugien Garden to take in the stunning colors of fall in Tokyo.

Moon viewing is a traditional Japanese autumn event that coincides with the full moons in September and October each year. Japanese silver grass, dumplings called tsukimi dango and sake are usually displayed as offerings during tsukimi which will occur on September 14th and October 11th this year.  The Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya has put together a tsukimi accommodation package that includes a bottle of sake and seasonal foods meant to be enjoyed while you gaze out at the moon from your room on the upper floors of the hotel.  The package also includes a twin or king room and breakfast for ¥48,000 and is available through November 14th.

The city’s restaurants and home chefs take full advantage of seasonal foods and fall favorites such as pine mushrooms (matsutake), gingko nuts (ginnan) and mackerel (saba) will start to appear on menus and in the supermarkets along with new rice (shin-mai) which is harvested in September and October.

While summer in Tokyo is the peak of festival season in the city, there are many fun fall festivals and events on the calendar.  The Japan Times Festival Listings offer a good overview of events in the city each month and is a great resource to find the fall festival that fits into your schedule.

So get out there, sample some seasonal food, attend a fall festival and be sure to ponder the moon this Autumn in Tokyo!

Image Credit: Flickr, Happiness Found in Ueno Park & Full Moon

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

A Brief History

Adachi-ku was originally part of Kosuge Prefecture and was a marshy agricultural center with many rice fields in the Edo area (1600-1868).  It was also a convenient place to stop if you were traveling to Nikko during the same era.  In 1932, Tokyo’s boundaries were expanded and Adachi became a ward of Tokyo but it was not officially recognized as such until the late 1940’s.

The train lines that serve Adachi-ku are the Hibaya and Chiyoda Lines which began operations in 1962 and 1969 respectively.  In 2005, the Tsukuba Express, offering service to Ibaraki prefecture, began serving the area.  The main train station in Adachi-ku is Kita-senju.

The city emblems are the cherry tree and the tulip which bloom in the parks and gardens of the city each spring and summer. Events

The Adachi Fireworks Festival is held on the 4th Thursday of July each year along the banks of the Arakawa River between Senju Shinbashi and Nishi Araibashi bridges.  The event started in 1924 and has been presented annually since 1979.

In early October, the Adachi Citizens Festival is held along the banks of the Arakawa River and in other locations throughout the city.

The Issa Matsuri Festival at Entenji Temple is held each November to commemorate Issa Kobayashi, a famous Haiku poet who lived from 1763-1827.

The Festival of Light is held each December along the avenue of trees between the Motofuchie Park and the East exit of Takenotsuka Station on the Tobu Isesaki Line.  In the park you will find eight, 20 meter tall, Christmas trees illuminated with 10,000 twinkling lights that is the largest display of its kind in Japan.

The Sights

Nishiarai-Daishi Temple is a Buddhist temple that is one of the “Three Great Daishi of Kanto” and is a popular temple for New Years visits as it is believed to bring visitors longevity.

Belmont park was developed in 1984 and is a symbol of the sister relationship that the city has with Belmont, Australia with native plants and Black Swans that are the state bird of Western Australia.  The western style brick house in the park is open on weekends and holidays and displays Australian Handicrafts and household items.  The park is also home to the Adachi International Festival held each fall that

Toneri Park (PDF) has a number of athletic fields, a large pond and a splash pool that is popular in the summer (map).

Fun Facts & Trivia

Did you know that a large number of the Cherry Trees in Washington, D.C. came from Adachi Ward?  In December of 1910, over 3,000 scions were taken from cherry trees on the banks of the Arakawa River in Adachi and grafted onto trees from Hyogo Prefecture, in southern Japan, before being shipped to Washington.

For mor information on the Adachi ward, visit the Tokyo Tourism Information Adachi-ku page or the City of Adachi website in English which will provide additional details about the area and the events held there.

Image Credit:  Wikipedia, Adachi-ku & Flickr, 20060727DSC_0128

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

Aka (Red) is the color of the circle representing the sun on the Hinomaru, the flag of Japan, and is considered good luck. The Kaminarimon Gate in Asakusa and many of the shrines around Tokyo are painted in this deep crimson color.Kiiro (Yellow) is the color of the Ginko biloba leaves in the fall. Better know for their green color, the Ginko biloba leaf is one of the symbols of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Midori (Green) can be found in the parks and gardens that are pockets of natural beauty amidst the modern architecture and noise of this bustling city. Sakurairo (Pale Pink) is the color of spring in Tokyo and the color of the cherry blossoms that bloom each year. There are so many other colors that Tokyo has to offer, there is the blue and white of the traditional pottery and fabrics, the white and silver that is ever present on the modern architectural wonders that grace the Tokyo skyline, and the black sumi ink that artists use to create renderings of the kanji and Japanese poetry that are gorgeous in their simplicity.

Lastly, covering the whole spectrum of color is the aptly named Rainbow Bridge in the Odaiba area of Tokyo.

Come explore the rainbow of colors that Tokyo has to offer, you won’t be disappointed!

Image Credits: Flickr, Kaminarimon, Japanese style garden #2, 銀杏並木, Cherry Blossom at night & Rainbow Bridge

Post from: The Tokyo Traveler