One of the defining features of the Japanese is their love for the “four” seasons and the unique qualities of each. It’s not uncommon for a Japanese person to stop me in the street and say, “How are you today? By the way, don’t you love the way Japan has four distinct seasons, unlike other countries?” Of course the idea that Japan has only four seasons is quite humorous, when it really has about ten, if you count the in-between ones like early spring (it’s still cold enough to freeze you to death, but the sakura are pretty), rainy season (it rains constantly from mid-June to mid-July), and “typhoon season” in September when one storm after another hits different parts of Japan. Right now it’s autumn, one of my favorite times of year, and everyone is enjoying koyo, the beautiful turning of the leaves. Food is also a very seasonal thing in Japan, unlike in the U.S. where fruits never go out of season since they’re imported from around the world constantly. Right now is the only time Japanese can enjoy nashi, the delicious apple-pears that are sold at road-size stands, and the fact that they’re only available for a short time — like the fleeting cherry blossoms — makes them all the more special.
Autumn is the season for eating nashi pears.
