Summer Festivals Across Japan

this week's most popular posts and other tidbits from around Japan

Japan's ancient calendar of 72 seasons 寒蝉鳴 (higurashi naku) Earth is damp, air is humid This is the time of year when the evening cicada (semi in Japanese) seems to summon the end of summer. These mostly subterranean insects live out over 98% of their life underground and emerge only to sing out their last days: the semi-finals. (sorry..couldn't resist) (Do you want more seasonal events, recipes, poems and art in your inbox? Become a member!) the spoon & tamago dispatch Umegae Mochi Our newsletter this week begins in southern Japan where,in Fukuoka, we check out a beautiful new store specializing in umegae mochi. Invented in the town of Dazaifu and dating back hundreds of years, umegae mochi is a type of rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste and imprinted with the petals of a plum blossom. The sweets are practically synonymous with Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, and have been a popular souvenir for as long as many can remember. Read on... Setouchi Triennial Next stop is Ogijima, one of the many art islands that make up the Setouchi region where the popular art festival just kicked off. One of the newest works was this collaboration between Brazilian-Japanese artist Oscar Oiwa and architect Shigeru Ban. Read on... Nebuta Matsuri Then we head up north to Aomori prefecture, home to one of Japan's most-iconic and heavily attended summer festivals. Nebuta Matsuri was held for the first time in three years after a long covid-induced hiatus. A total of 18 floats featuring scenes from scroll paintings depicting warriors and mythology lit up the heart of the city. Read on... We're happy to be judging a residency program to bring Japanese artists from Japan to New York. Do you know any Japanese artists interested? Help us spread the word! You can learn more about the program here. tidbits from all corners of Japan We were saddened to hear about the passing of iconic fashion designer Issey Miyake and are remembering him through these ad campaigns of pleats that look like flowers. Ah yes, it's the time of year for Japan's Awa Odori, a 400-year old festival that originated from *checks notes* a drinking party From the Shop Hibi Incense and matches, combined as one. This ingenious yet intuitive design comes from a 90-year old Japanese match manufacturer, who never stopped innovating. After years of trial and error, the creators of Hibi arrived at the optimal mixture of paper fibres, incense and charcoal to create the perfect strike-on-box incense match. view the collection Copyright © 2022 Spoon & Tamago, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Spoon & Tamago 794 Dekalb Ave Apt A8 New York, New York 10112 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.