Hi, we had a nice and warm summer over here in the Northwest this past summer. Although we are still getting lots of sunshine, I see the leaves turning into fall color. Orange, yellow, and red colored leaves are so pretty in the fall. Today’s article is all about the Fall. Here are some of the Fall related Japanese words.

Ko-yo-(紅葉、こうよう)-Colored Leaves

In the fall, you see many leaves turning into red, orange, and yellow. Most places in the main Honshu island of Japan has four distinct seasons. You will see the beautiful Ko-yo-(紅葉、こうよう) starting in September.

Koorogi(蟋蟀、こおろぎ)-Cricket

Crickets(蟋蟀、こおろぎ) are typical insects during the fall. Koorogi (蟋蟀、こおろぎ) is often cited in many fall related stories, poems, and haiku’s. I love the way they sound in the fall. It just lets you know that the summer is over, and the fall is here.

Matsutake(松茸、まつたけ)-Matsutake Mushroom (Pine mushroom)

Matsutake(松茸、まつたけ) are the special Japanese mushrooms that are often very expensive due to the limited quantity being available. This type of mushroom has distinctive aromatic flavor that people love when cooking soup or rice with it.  You can find Matsutake(松茸、まつたけ) in many of the Asian countries as well as North America.

Kaki(柿、かき)-Persimmon

You will start seeing persimmons in grocery stores around the end of September, but the main season for persimmons is from mid October through mid November in Japan. Persimmons are rich in Vitamin C, B1, and B2. Very healthy fruit to eat during the fall.

Kuri(栗、くり)-Chestnut

Chestnuts are everywhere in Japan during the fall. The smaller ones are much sweeter, in my opinion. Chestnuts are often used in the Wagashi(和菓子、わがし), which is traditional Japanese confectioneries.

Hope you got to know some new Japanese vocabularies today.  Keep learning! and stay tuned for more posts coming up this week. 🙂