Fun activities in autumn
The fall season is definitely my favorite in Japan. The temperature finally cools off after the long hot summer, the mosquitoes finally vanish, the leaves begin to change color and the skies clear up paving the way for some vibrant moonlit nights. If you’re like me, you like to get out of the house and travel a bit but not too far from home. Here are a few activities that can be enjoyed over the weekends and on a budget.
- OKUTAMA FISHING CENTER
http://www.okutama-fc.co.jp/okutama_fc_esa.html
This place is really great. It’s located in Ome City in Tokyo and you can get there by train. Although it’s in Tokyo, don’t be misled, it’s the countryside. The center has many manmade fishing pools along the river bank which are stocked with rainbow trout. Fishing rods and bait can be rented and BBQ grills can be rented too. As you catch the fish, the center will clean and prepare them for you so you can throw them right on the grill as you bait your next hook.
It’s a great place to go with a couple of friends or with the family. My 3-year-old daughter loved it. The center also has a little designated pool for catching the trout by hand if you’re up for it. I went during the summer so it was really hot but a fall trip sounds perfect.
- PICNICS IN THE PARK
Tokyo has so many beautiful parks and the autumn season is the perfect time to go on a picnic and take in all the beautiful fall foliage.
In Musashino, you have Inokashira Park and Koganei Park. If you are more centrally located in Tokyo, you have Yoyogi Park, Ueno Park and Shinjuku Gyoen national garden park. The list really goes on and on. Where ever you are located in Tokyo, you will most likely have a nice park nearby. Fall is the perfect time to explore your surroundings, call up some friends and meet up.
- FALL FOODS
There are a lot of fall foods that you’ll start noticing around the city so, why not try some! The autumn fruit in Japan is hands-down the persimmon. You will soon see these plump roundish orange fruits everywhere. They are quite tasty once you get them peeled and ready to eat.
Ginko nuts and chestnuts would be the nutty offering autumn provides in Japan. Ginko nuts are usually cooked and eaten as beer snacks or they can be skewered and added along with some yakitori.
Chestnuts don’t really need an introduction. In Japan you’ll find them everywhere but most of the time you’ll see them mashed and made into a sweet paste and topped on cakes and other sweet treats. Can’t go wrong with some sweet chestnut cake.
Kabocha (pumpkin), sweet potato and matsutake mushrooms make their appearance in fall. These three veggies are a welcome trio to your tastebuds. Although Kabocha can be found year-round, you’ll notice it being incorporated into more dishes around fall. For example: Kabocha croquettes, kabocha tempura, kabocha ice cream, kabocha lattes. I prefer just the simple straight kabocha, thank you.
Sweet potatoes also lead a similar existence to the kabocha around this time of year. You’ll find satsuma-imo flavored treats and dishes everywhere. You’ll also start to smell the sweet aroma of these potatoes as they slowly roast on a bed of hot rocks in most supermarkets and convenience stores. Street vendors also join in on the potato roasting fun filling the streets with their distinct autumn scent.
Matsutake mushrooms are used in many soup broths and also steamed with rice. They have a delicate taste and aroma. You can usually find them at the supermarket around this time or they’ll most definitely pop up on some seasonal menus at your local restaurants.
Seasonal food hunting is always a fun activity, if you ask me. Enjoy!
- HALLOWEEN
I can’t really make a fall activities list without mentioning Halloween. For those of you out there from the states, you probably miss Halloween back home, I sure do. The spirit of Halloween is alive in Japan but it’s just not the same. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. Anyway, with my nostalgia moment out of the way there is still fun to be had here in japan and especially in Tokyo. With COVID waning and restrictions all but gone, Halloween might be a big one this year. When I say big one, I mean the annual gathering of costumed freaks and party-goers that might once again take over Shibuya crossing and run amuck around town. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
At least that’s how I remember it, if you wanted to party the night away and see some really fun costumes, you’d really have to go and check out Shibuya and the surrounding areas come Halloween night. Something about zombies, vampires, nurses, picachus and minions all wandering around the streets of Tokyo is just something that shouldn’t be missed. Just don’t forget to catch the last train home. The costumes aren’t as fun when you’re hungover in your ninja outfit riding alongside a few salary men and old timers at 5am. But hey, it’s Halloween after all.
E . P – Musashino ALT
