Japanese summer icons

Summer is coming to an end here in Japan, and I thought it would be a good time to share some trivia about iconic items associated with summer! You may have seen this art before, as I’ve posted it on our Patreon for cell phone wallpapers, and I included postcards featuring the art in our summer stationery boxes. I realized some of the items may not be known to everyone, so I thought it would be fine to write up some descriptions and make some graphics with the info!

-Amanda

Image contents:

JAPAN SUMMER ICONS

• TERU TERU BOZU: Small, handmade dolls that are hung up in hopes of sunny weather. Often spotted during the rainy typhoon season in summer.

• DESSERTS: Cold desserts always taste best in summer, especially if it’s a bowl of kakigori (shaved ice) at a festival. Another summer staple are “garigari-kun”, a 40+ year old popsicle. Fun fact, the default flavor is based on the iconic ramune soda flavor!

• BITTER MELON: A bit controversial, bitter melon (or “goya”) is a summer vegetable that helps you cool down AND is super healthy!

• FLOWERS: Some of Japan’s prettiest flowers, hyndrange and morning glories, bloom in summer. Both flower types are notable for their variety of beautiful shades, including blue, which is a rare color to see in nature. Hydrangea bloom in early summer, early June through July, while morning glories peak in July and August.

• PIG MOSQUITO COIL: Mosquitoes are a regular pest in summer, these pigs are made of ceramic clay and house incense that helps deter the bugs

• BUGS: Bug collecting is a super common activity for kids in the summer. we see kids with their parents at our park, nets and plastic bins to house their catches. Cicadas cheer them on from the trees, while kids look for high and low for prized beetles to keep.

• SHICHIRIN: Cooking inside can heat up your kitchen and house easily, so some people will cook outside using this small charcoal grill.

• FESTIVALS: There are no shortage of festivals that take place in summer, especially in the Tohoku region. Closest to us in Sendai is the Sendai Tanabata Festival, featuring massive colorful streamer decorations. Our next door prefecture, Yamadera, is home to the Hanagasa Festival. Hanagasa are the name of the colorful flower-decorated hats, worn by thousands of dancers during the event.