Autumn Harvest | Shoichi Maeda, Dean of the Graduate School of Health Management
Time flies, and before I knew it, the season of the autumn harvest has arrived once again. This morning, when I peeked into a nearby greengrocer, I saw various vegetables and new rice alongside many fruits like persimmons, pears, grapes, figs, and chestnuts lined up at the storefront, making me truly feel the abundance of autumn.
In recent years, if you go to a supermarket, you can find neatly packaged fruit all year round. Sometimes you see apples in midsummer or watermelons in midwinter, but that is not the case at a greengrocer. I love such greengrocers and often stop by. I don't always buy something; it's often just window shopping. There, I can see seasonal foods that look glossy and fresh, which alone puts my mind at ease. (To tell the truth, I don't just want to look—I want to eat everything, including the cakes from the nearby pastry shop—but since I assumed the position of Dean of the Graduate School of Health Management this October, I think I'll stick to just one for the sake of my own health management.)
At the greengrocer this morning, the clerk called out, "The summer was hot this year, so the grapes are very sweet and delicious!" Indeed, this summer was even hotter than usual. When I returned home and checked the Japan Meteorological Agency reports, the number of "extremely hot days" (maximum daily temperature of 35°C or higher) from June to August was 25 days in Tokyo (Tokyo station), 12 days in Kanagawa Prefecture (Yokohama station), and 8 days in Chiba Prefecture (Chiba station). The number of "midsummer days" (maximum daily temperature of 30°C or higher) was 69, 67, and 67 days, respectively. Looking at the numbers alone, the number of extremely hot days in Tokyo was more than twice that of Yokohama and more than three times that of Chiba, suggesting that the heat in Tokyo is more severe. Data from September onwards has not been released yet, but I have the impression that the late summer heat was also intense. On my way to work, I heard cicadas from the morning, and until very recently, I saw many people in short sleeves. Amidst all that, the fruits at the greengrocer this morning told me that autumn is in full swing.
During my childhood, I could feel the changing of the seasons with my own skin in nature. At this time of year, I could see many small dark brown chestnuts called sasaguri (wild chestnuts) and deep orange persimmons in the mountains. Also, in the rice fields after the harvest, there were scenes of straw and rice husks being burned. Sometimes, I would enter the fields, hold fallen ears of rice near the fire to make them pop, and eat the "hazemai" (popped rice). Many members of my laboratory grew up in the city, so when I tell stories of my childhood, they listen with interest as if they were hearing a Japanese folk tale (though I still consider myself young, and it wasn't that long ago).
Near my home in Tokyo, it has become difficult to find even small signs of autumn, but as a season, we are currently in the height of it. At the Graduate School of Health Management, a progress report meeting for master's theses (Master's Thesis Examination) is held every year around the end of November. Last week, I began preparations for this presentation with the students I supervise. I don't know if I was able to provide guidance as "intense" as this summer's heat, but I am looking forward to seeing the students' hard work bear fruit.
And so, this was another rambling diary entry.