Autumn enters like a coy mistress. The nights no longer require closed windows and an air-con timer; a gentle breeze tiptoes through the screen with the grace of a lullaby. Hydrangea no longer paint the landscape in vivid blues and pinks; anemones now gently accessorize the green of late summer.
Food, however, ushers in the season like nothing else in Japan and the most telling sign of autumn's imminent arrival smiles down from the displays in my local supermarket. Nashi (Japanese pears) have replaced grapes, corn has been regulated to the back to make room for the Japanese pumpkin squash or matsutake mushrooms, tomatoes cool their heels closer to the counter while the sanma (Pacific saury) at the fish counter now take center stage.
Japan's reputation for its food culture extends throughout the world, yet the culture of food penetrates deeper than just physical consumption. Food grows into a metaphor for all aspects of life in Japan, slicing through the mundane, serving philosophical portions for the soul along with subsistence for the belly.