"Crickets are at the Door" (Microseason 51) As autumn deepens, this is the time of year when you might hear crickets chirping by your windows and doors. The way this microseason is worded makes it feel like a suspenseful horror movie building up to a climax in which the crickets have moved in from the fields and are now just outside your door. It's believed that this is, in fact, meant as a warning that winter is right around the corner. And although the old text reads kirigirisu ("grasshopper"), it's now believed to be referring to crickets. But the two are used interchangeably, especially by the poets. | | (Do you want more seasonal events, recipes, poems and art in your inbox? Become a member!) | | the spoon & tamago dispatch | | Shi-Boo-Ya It was a stark reversal from just 4 years ago when it seemed Shibuya had practically made Halloween their culture. But things started to get out of hand, particularly after last year's tragic events in Seoul, and this year Shibuya is cancelling Halloween. Their message is loud and clear. Read more... | | | VHS is back Tokyo is very much a mash-up of old and new. It's a city where Tower Records is still alive and well. Where vinyl record and vintage clothing shops have to employ crowd control measures. So it was no surprise when we heard that a VHS cafe was opening in Tokyo. Read more... | | | Conran Shop's New Outpost Lastly, we take a look inside the Conran Shop's new outpost in the posh neighborhood of Daikanyama. Since opening its London flagship in 1973, The Conran Shop has been a go-to destination for all things contemporary design. Read more... | | | | For just $5 per month, support independent publishing, and Japanese arts & crafts, by becoming a Spoon & Tamago member! | | tidbits from all corners of Japan | | | A fun fall day-trip: take a ride on Kyoto's Eizan Railway. As the train passes through the famed "momiji tunnel" it slows down and, at night, turns off their lights for this surreal view. | | A rogue watermelon growing in a roadside median has become a symbol of grit and perseverance in Osaka. Worried that spectators would begin gathering, authorities have carefully transplanted it and are deciding on its new home. | | Burning Leaves as Incense Just in time for fall, many varieties of our HA KO incense have been restocked! We have special sets for fall and winter aromas. And we're also letting our newsletter subscribers know first that we have a very limited quantity of a special artist collaboration with ceramicist Toru Hatta, who created one-of-a-kind wood-fired vessel for the incense. | | | | |