Symbols of summer in Japan 日本の夏の象徴

Discover the activities and traditions that punctuate summer in Japan

One the beach with parasols, the sun, the sea…For us Westerners, this is the (stereo) typical image of summer. It's very different in Japan. But chimes that tinkle in the wind, dragonflies, goldfish, or even watermelon evoke summer in the eyes of the Japanese. It is well known that the Japanese have a craze for the seasons. Thus, clothing, interior decoration, various accessories and others each have their seasonal patterns. In summer, it is not uncommon to see yukata, summer kimonos, fans, buoys and other summer accessories adorned with illustrations symbolizing summer. What are these symbols and why?

Let's get to the insects, many of which only live for one summer.

Fans of anime or Japanese films have of course all heard the incessant song of cicadas , ( semi ) punctuating the torrid days of Japan. Summer animal par excellence, its song (or rather its songs since there are about thirty kinds of cicadas in Japan) annoys or delights the Japanese population, but it is unmissable.

No Japanese summer without cicadas. It is therefore quite natural and even necessary to have them sing in films where the scenes take place in the summer.

Much more discreet but no less symbolic, the dragonfly ( tonbo ) also evokes the beautiful season. A symbol of courage and victory in samurai times, it has become now a common decoration in summer.

It can be spotted on yukata or kimonos, fans and other accessories. Living near water, it brings to mind the coolness, so much appreciated in this season.

 

Furin and Hozuki at the Hozuki Market in the Asakusa District

JNTO

The essential watermelon ( suika ) , the summer fruit par excellence, can be found not only on the tables but also on the beach! And not only in the form of a buoy or other air mattresses. No, we see it whole, very big, and it gives rise to a summer game that we only play on the beach (or sometimes in schoolyards): suika-wari .

Literally “watermelon smashing”, the game consists of splitting a watermelon using a large stick or a baseball bat. The player is blindfolded and placed about 5-7 meters from the watermelon. He is guided by the directions, or shouts, of his friends until he reaches his goal. In general, the watermelon is placed on a mat so that we can still enjoy a few pieces at the end!

Finally, summer is the time to party and many matsuri, festivals , and hanabi, fireworks , brighten up the hot season. If they do not evoke freshness, they still symbolize this season and the bouquets of fireworks are found on many yukata that are worn on festive evenings during mild summer nights.

 

 

Feux d'artifices dans le ciel d'été japonais

Fireworks in the Japanese summer sky

San Rin

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