"The Time for Wheat"
(Microseason 24)
It's the time of year when wheat has grown large and golden, and is about ready to be picked. For most of us, summer is just about to begin, but for wheat, the harvesting season has begun, which explains why this microseason (written as 麦秋至 in Japanese) incorporates the character 秋 (aki), meaning autumn. The air is dry but it's also the calm before rainy season and farmers must hurry to finish the work before the storms come. | | (Do you want more seasonal events, recipes, poems and art in your inbox? Become a member!) | | the spoon & tamago dispatch | | Unusual Arrows Have you tried saying this week's newsletter subject line 3 times in a row? Go ahead, we'll wait...
Well, now that you've failed, lets move on. There are thousands of these abnormal road signs dotted across Japan and while drivers might find them confusing or even annoying, Gaku Yamazaki has developed a certain affection for them, particularly towards the more bizarre ones.
Read more... | | | Jijinto In that similar vein, we're revisiting an article we wrote about small shrines, right in the middle of many Japanese roads. If you've ever driven in Japan you've probably come across abnormal road signs but also these miniature shrines, known as jijinto. Read more... | | | Post-Apocalyptic Tokyo Stories about the collapse of civilization and order—apocalyptic stories—endlessly seduce us. And this week we're checking out the work of illustrator Tokyo Genso, whose images of Tokyo in ruin are currently on display in Ginza.
Read more... | | |  | | Did you know we have a membership program? For just $5 a month, members get access to a bunch of great perks while also helping us continue our mission. | | tidbits from all corners of Japan | |  | | A powerful typhoon brought lots of rain and train delays to Japan this week. Of all the images out there, this one caught our eye: a station master announcing delays to stranded passengers (and looking like a rock star as he does it). |  | | Meanwhile, in more friendly weather related train imagery, most trains in Japan run over beds of grey rock. But did you know the Tokyu-Setagaya Line grows lawns on their tracks? It's a very refreshing change! | | Summer Collection "In summer the nights. Not only when the moon shines, but on dark nights too, when the fireflies flit to and fro, and even when it rains, how beautiful it is!"
This is a famous verse from Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book, a fascinating, detailed account of Japanese court life in the eleventh century written by a lady of the court. In this particular chapter (haru wa akebono), she writes about her favorite times of day during each season: In spring it is the dawn, In autumn the evenings, In winter the early mornings and In summer the nights. | | | | |
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