tsukimi / moon viewing
The night of September 13 is set aside by many people to take part in the tradition of moon viewing. Families often make or buy dumplings (tsukimi-dango) to eat and the moon viewing itself may be enjoyed outdoors or indoors through an open window sometimes decorated with pampas grass (susuki). The public holiday, Autumn Equinox Day (Shu_bun no Hi) falls shortly afterwards on September 23.

tonbo / dragonfly
An indelible symbol of autumn and victory. Samurai often decorated their armour and clothing with dragonfly images as a kind of talisman. This was due to the aggressive and resolute nature of dragonflies. An ancient word for "tonbo" is "akizu" and Japan was poetically referred to as "Akizu-shima/ Dragonfly Island" in the Nihon Shoki chronicle of 720.

koyo / colours of autumn leaves
Just as sakura (cherry blossoms) grab the nation's attention in spring, a similar phenomenon occurs in autumn. People from all over Japan flock to famous autumn coloured sites to view the changing leaf tints of maples, lacquer trees, ginkgo trees, wax trees, cypresses and beeches - just to name a few. Famous ko_yo_ spots are located all over Japan. However many of the most well-known are in Kyoto.

sanma / Pacific saury
Sometimes referred to as a "mackerel pike", the sanma's numbers peak in autumn months. The three Chinese characters that make up its name mean "autumn sword fish". It is often served salted or grilled with grated radish and as a small meal with rice and miso soup. Eating sanma is considered excellent for improving brain and heart functions.

kaki / kaki persimmon
A large orange fruit that is commonly skinned, cut up and eaten as soon as it is ripe. The kaki persimmon is a species unique to Asia that originally came from China, although it is grown in many other countries as well. It has a crisp waxy skin and the inside is generally a firm or soft pulp. "Hoshi-gaki" (dried persimmon) is sometimes served as a side dish to a meal.

shichi-go-san / "7-5-3" Festival
A traditional event held to celebrate the growth and well being of three and five-year-old boys and three and seven-year-old girls. Girls dress in kimono and boys dress in hakama and haori (split skirt and a formal over-jacket) or a suit and visit a shrine to pray and have photographs taken with their family. The formal date for Shichi-Go-San is November 15.

undo_kai / sports day
A special carnival or series of athletic events held by schools, companies or communities, often in September or October. Apart from standard track and field events there are many team competitions such as novelty relay races over various distances, tug-of-war (tsuna-hiki) and three-legged races (ninin-sankyaku). Undo_kai may be held over a few days or a week.