- 🌟 Lead-in
- 📅 September Seasonal Highlights
- 🌬️ Around September 1 │ Nihyaku Tōka (二百十日) — A Traditional Weather Marker
- 💧 Around September 7│ Hakuro (白露) — White Dew
- 🌼September 9 │ Chōyō no Sekku (重陽の節句) — The Chrysanthemum Festival
- 🌺 Around September 20–26 │ Autumn Ohigan (秋のお彼岸)
- 👵🍂 September 21–23 │ Respect for the Aged Day & Silver Week
- ⚖️ September 23 │ Shūbun (秋分) — The Autumn Equinox
- 🌕 September 25 │ Tsukimi (月見) — Chūshū no Meigetsu
- 🥢 Seasonal Nourishment
- 🌿 Small Ways to Welcome September
- 🌿 Explore the Season
- ✨ September in a Few Words
🌟 Lead-in
Thank you for reading Japanese Seasonal Living #1, and for visiting my Japanese Calendar — Lucky Days & Holidays in Japan!
September in Japan can still feel very much like summer, with hot and humid days continuing in many parts of the country. Yet as the month progresses, we may begin to notice small signs of autumn — slightly more comfortable evenings, the sound of insects after sunset, and subtle changes in the seasonal landscape.
September is also traditionally associated with typhoons and changing weather, while the calendar brings many distinctly autumnal traditions — from Chōyō, the Chrysanthemum Festival, and Tsukimi moon viewing to Ohigan and the Autumn Equinox.
This month, let’s enjoy those first signs of autumn through flowers, moonlight, seasonal sounds, traditions, and simple flavors from the Japanese table.
📅 September Seasonal Highlights
🌬️ Around September 1 │ Nihyaku Tōka (二百十日) — A Traditional Weather Marker
Nihyaku Tōka, literally “the 210th day,” is counted from Risshun, the traditional beginning of spring.
It has long been regarded as a time when strong winds and typhoons may affect Japan, especially important in the past for farmers watching over rice crops as they approached the harvest season.
Today, typhoons can of course arrive at other times as well, but early September remains a time to pay attention to changing weather.
💧 Around September 7│ Hakuro (白露) — White Dew
Hakuro is one of Japan’s traditional 24 seasonal divisions (Nijūshi Sekki).
The name Hakuro, meaning “white dew,” traditionally evokes the sight of morning dew resting on grasses and plants — an old seasonal image marking the gradual transition from summer toward autumn.
In modern Japan, early September can still be very hot, but Hakuro offers a reminder to notice the smaller signs of the changing season.
🌼September 9 │ Chōyō no Sekku (重陽の節句) — The Chrysanthemum Festival
Chōyō no Sekku, observed on September 9, is one of Japan’s five traditional seasonal festivals known as Gosekku (五節句).
The word sekku refers to a seasonal turning point. These observances developed from traditions of warding off misfortune at changes of the season and praying for health, well-being, abundant harvests, and the prosperity of future generations.
Their roots reach back much further, but during the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate formally designated these five days as important ceremonial days.
The five Gosekku are:
- 🌿 January 7 — Jinjitsu (人日): Nanakusa no Sekku, when nanakusa-gayu — rice porridge with seven herbs — is traditionally eaten with wishes for good health
- 🎎 March 3 — Jōshi (上巳): now widely celebrated as Hinamatsuri, with traditions connected to purification and wishes for children’s health and happiness
- 🎏 May 5 — Tango (端午): traditionally associated with shōbu (sweet flag), used in customs intended to ward off misfortune, along with wishes for healthy growth
- 🎋 July 7 — Tanabata (七夕): the Star Festival. Alongside the well-known legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi, Tanabata incorporates traditions of wishing for improvement in skills such as weaving, sewing, calligraphy, and the arts. Today, people commonly write all kinds of wishes on colorful strips of paper called tanzaku and hang them on bamboo branches
- 🌼 September 9 — Chōyō (重陽): the Chrysanthemum Festival, traditionally associated with chrysanthemums and wishes for health and longevity
These traditions help explain why seasonal foods, flowers, and plants are so closely connected with Japan’s annual celebrations. They were not simply decorations or special dishes — many carried wishes for protection, health, longevity, growth, or prosperity.
🌼 Chōyō and Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums (kiku) have long been associated with health and longevity and became an important part of Chōyō traditions.
One particularly elegant custom is kiku no kisewata (菊の着せ綿), a tradition once practiced at the Imperial Court. On the evening before Chōyō, chrysanthemum blossoms were covered with soft silk floss made from silkworm cocoons.
The floss was left on the flowers overnight to absorb the morning dew and the fragrance of the chrysanthemums. The following morning, people would wipe their bodies with the scented, dew-touched silk, with the wish for health and longevity.
Chrysanthemums adorned with colorful kisewata for Chōyō no Sekku.
Another Chōyō custom is kikuzake (菊酒), or chrysanthemum sake, enjoyed with wishes for a long and healthy life.
Chrysanthemum sake, traditionally enjoyed on Chōyō no Sekku as a wish for good health and longevity.
Chōyō originally followed Japan’s old calendar, when its seasonal timing was different from today. On the modern calendar, September 9 can still feel very much like summer, and many chrysanthemums in Japan reach their flowering season later in autumn.
Today, Chōyō is less prominent in everyday Japanese life than festivals such as Hinamatsuri or Tanabata, but these traditions offer a fascinating glimpse into the way people once welcomed a change of season through flowers, fragrance, food, and wishes for well-being.
🌺 Around September 20–26 │ Autumn Ohigan (秋のお彼岸)
Ohigan is a traditional Japanese Buddhist observance held twice a year, around the spring and autumn equinoxes. Each Ohigan period lasts for seven days, with the equinox at its center.
The word higan (彼岸) literally refers to the “other shore” — the Buddhist realm beyond worldly suffering. The world in which we live is called shigan (此岸), or “this shore.”
In Japan, the equinoxes became especially associated with Higan. On these days, the sun rises almost directly in the east and sets almost directly in the west. In Buddhist tradition, the Pure Land of Amida Buddha was believed to lie in the west, and this connection helped shape the Japanese custom of observing Higan around the equinoxes.
Today, many people visit family graves during Ohigan, cleaning the graves and offering flowers, incense, and prayers while remembering their ancestors and loved ones who have passed away.
🫘 Ohagi — A Seasonal Food of Ohigan
Ohagi are also closely associated with Ohigan. They are made from glutinous rice and commonly covered with sweet red bean paste (anko) or soybean flour (kinako).
Red beans have long been associated in Japan with protection from misfortune, which is one reason foods made with azuki became connected with seasonal and ceremonial occasions.
Depending on the season, region, or household, you may also hear different names for these sweets. Where I live, we simply call them ohagi throughout the year.
Ohagi—soft rice cakes covered with sweet red bean paste or kinako—are traditionally enjoyed during both the spring and autumn equinox periods in Japan.
🌺 Higanbana — Flowers of the Equinox
Around the autumn equinox, brilliant red higanbana (彼岸花), or red spider lilies, begin to appear along roadsides, field edges, and other parts of the Japanese landscape.
Their Japanese name literally means “Higan flower,” reflecting their close association with this time of year.
Higanbana (red spider lilies) appearing among the greenery in Miwa, Nara — a familiar sight around the autumn equinox in Japan.
👵🍂 September 21–23 │ Respect for the Aged Day & Silver Week
Respect for the Aged Day (Keirō no Hi, 敬老の日) is a national holiday celebrated on the third Monday of September. It is a day to honor and express gratitude to older generations, recognize their contributions to society, and celebrate their longevity.
In 2026, Respect for the Aged Day falls on September 21, followed by Autumnal Equinox Day (Shūbun no Hi, 秋分の日) on September 23.
But what happens on September 22?
Japan has an interesting holiday rule: when a weekday falls between two national holidays, that day also becomes a day off. This means that September 22, 2026, is also a holiday, creating three consecutive days off.
Together with the weekend of September 19–20, this creates a five-day holiday period from September 19 to 23.
This kind of long September holiday period is commonly known as Silver Week. Unlike Golden Week in spring, however, Silver Week does not produce the same long consecutive break every year — it depends on how the national holidays fall on the calendar.
⚖️ September 23 │ Shūbun (秋分) — The Autumn Equinox
Shūbun no Hi, or Autumnal Equinox Day, is a national holiday in Japan. Around the equinox, day and night are approximately equal in length, marking an important seasonal turning point as the nights gradually become longer.
The holiday is officially dedicated to honoring ancestors and remembering those who have passed away, and it falls during the seven-day autumn Ohigan period.
In 2026, Autumnal Equinox Day falls on September 23.
🌕 September 25 │ Tsukimi (月見) — Chūshū no Meigetsu
In 2026, Chūshū no Meigetsu (中秋の名月), Japan’s traditional Mid-Autumn Moon, falls on September 25.
Tsukimi (月見), or moon viewing, is a centuries-old Japanese tradition of appreciating the autumn moon. Traditional offerings may include tsukimi dango and susuki (Japanese pampas grass), while today people enjoy the season in many different ways — sometimes simply by stepping outside and looking up at the night sky.
Interestingly, Chūshū no Meigetsu does not always fall on the astronomical full moon. In 2026, the full moon comes two days later, on September 27.
Last year, I explored this tradition in much more detail — from the rabbit on the moon and traditional offerings to modern Tsukimi foods, moon-viewing ideas, and beautiful places to enjoy the autumn moon in Japan.
👉Explore more:
Japan: Life & Spirit #13 │ The Harvest Moon in Japan: Chūshū no Meigetsu
A nearly full moon rising above the mountains near my family home, captured during an evening walk in early autumn.
🎥 Watch on YouTube
【HELLO JAPAN】A Nearly Full Moon in the Night Sky 🌕 │ ASMR │ Japan
🥢 Seasonal Nourishment
In this series, I share simple seasonal foods and flavors that can be easily enjoyed in everyday life.
This month, let’s make a simple homemade dashi soy sauce — a versatile Japanese seasoning that can be used with tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, noodles, and many other everyday dishes.
Soy sauce is the heart of this recipe, and the soy sauce you choose will largely determine its flavor. Dashi, sake, and mirin add umami, depth, and balance, while allowing the character of the soy sauce to remain at the center.
I like the slightly sweet flavor of Kyushu-style soy sauce, so that is what I use for this recipe. Together with dashi made from a salt-free bonito and kombu dashi bag, it creates a well-balanced flavor without adding sugar.
Of course, soy sauces vary greatly in saltiness, sweetness, and depth, so you can adjust the recipe to suit the soy sauce you have and the flavor you prefer.
🍶 Homemade Dashi Soy Sauce
Ingredients
🧴Regular Batch
- 150 ml sake
- 150 ml hon-mirin (real mirin)
- 200 ml prepared dashi stock
- 100 ml soy sauce
- 20 g katsuobushi (bonito flakes) — optional, for an extra layer of bonito flavor
🧴Small Batch
If you would like to try the recipe with a smaller amount first — especially when experimenting with a different soy sauce:
- 75 ml sake
- 75 ml hon-mirin (real mirin)
- 100 ml prepared dashi stock
- 50 ml soy sauce
- 10 g katsuobushi — optional
🍲 What Is Dashi Stock?
Soy sauce, kombu, and katsuobushi (bonito flakes)—familiar ingredients often used to build layers of umami in Japanese cooking. The ingredients used may vary depending on the recipe.
Dashi is the foundation of many Japanese dishes. It is a light, flavorful stock traditionally made by drawing umami from ingredients such as kombu (dried kelp), katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), or iriko/niboshi (dried small fish).
These days, many people in Japan also use convenient dashi bags. Similar to a tea bag, the ingredients are already packed inside — you simply simmer or steep the bag in water according to the package instructions to make dashi stock.
For this recipe, I use a salt-free dashi bag made with bonito and kombu. This gives the water a gentle umami flavor before it is combined with the soy sauce, sake, and mirin.
Dashi bags may be available online or at Japanese or Asian grocery stores. If you cannot find them, you can of course prepare dashi in the traditional way using kombu and katsuobushi.
💡 Tip: If you use a packaged dashi product, check the ingredients for added salt or seasonings. A salt-free version makes it easier to control the flavor of your dashi soy sauce.
A salt-free dashi bag made with bonito and kombu—the type I use to prepare the dashi stock for this recipe.
🥣 How to Make It
- Add the sake and hon-mirin to a saucepan and heat gently.
- Let the mixture simmer until it has reduced to about half its original volume. This cooks off much of the alcohol while concentrating the flavor.
- Add the prepared dashi stock and soy sauce, and stir gently.
- If you would like a deeper bonito flavor, add the optional katsuobushi at this stage.
- Bring the mixture briefly to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- If you added katsuobushi, strain the sauce once the flavors have infused.
- Allow the dashi soy sauce to cool, then transfer it to a clean container and store it in the refrigerator.
💡 Adjust to Your Taste
Because soy sauce is the main flavor of this recipe, taste the finished sauce before making any adjustments.
If your soy sauce is naturally sweet, as many Kyushu-style soy sauces are, you may find that no additional sugar is needed. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, begin with about 1 teaspoon, stir well, and add more only if needed.
🌿 Easy Flavor Variations
Once you have made the basic dashi soy sauce, you can easily change its character by adding a little extra flavor when serving.
Instead of seasoning the whole batch, try adding a small amount to your individual dish:
- 🌶️ Shichimi togarashi — for gentle heat and spice
- 🌿 Sansho pepper — for a fresh, distinctive Japanese aroma
- 🍋 Yuzu — for a bright citrus note
- 🫚 Fresh ginger — especially refreshing with tofu and vegetables
- 🌸 Ume — for a pleasantly tart accent
This way, one bottle of homemade dashi soy sauce can be enjoyed in several different ways, depending on the dish and your mood.
🌿 Small Ways to Welcome September
September in Japan is a month of transition. The days may still feel like summer, while cooler evenings, changing light, and the sounds of insects quietly hint that autumn is on its way.
Here are a few simple ways to welcome the season into everyday life:
🌕 Spend a little time with the moon
Step outside in the evening and look up at the moon — it doesn’t have to be the night of the full moon. Take a few quiet moments to enjoy the night sky and the sounds around you.
🌼 Bring a touch of autumn indoors
A single seasonal flower or small branch can gently change the atmosphere of a room. Chrysanthemums and other autumn flowers will gradually begin to appear as the season progresses.
🕯️ Enjoy fragrance as the evenings grow longer
Light some incense, or simply enjoy a favorite natural fragrance while you read, have tea, or wind down for the evening.
If you’re new to Japanese incense, I’ve also shared a simple introduction to enjoying incense at home, including easy and creative ways to begin.
Scented Vessels & Incense Rituals — Creative Ways to Enjoy Incense Simply
Discover simple and creative ways to welcome the gentle fragrance of incense into everyday life.
🎶 Listen for the sounds of early autumn
In Japan, the voices of crickets and other autumn insects are one of the familiar signs of the changing season. Open a window or take an evening walk and simply listen for a while.
🍵 Choose something warm on a cooler evening
Even while September days remain hot, a cooler evening may be the perfect time to enjoy warm tea, yudofu, or another simple comforting dish.
🌿 Explore the Season
Want to explore a little more of Japan as the seasons begin to change? Continue your journey through Japanese flavors and the traditional calendar.
🌶️ Japanese Flavors
Want to learn more about the seasonings used in these variations? Explore two distinctive flavors from the Japanese table.
Shichimi Explored: Japan’s Spicy Harmony
Discover the warmth, aroma, and seven-flavor harmony of shichimi togarashi.
Sansho Through Time: Japan’s Original Spice
Explore the fresh, citrusy aroma and long history of Japan’s native sansho pepper.
📅 Japanese Calendar │ Lucky Days & Holidays in Japan
Explore Japanese lucky days, moon phases, national holidays, and seasonal traditions throughout the year.
✨ September in a Few Words
Honor the generations before us.
Look up at the autumn moon.
Notice the subtle signs of the changing season.
Savor the first flavors of autumn.
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