Japanese tradition for the winter solstice

I always wondered why there were specific foods eaten around this time of year in Japan, but simply thought it was because they were in season. This is partially true, of course it is, but I also only learned yesterday that for the winter solstice, Japanese people like to eat things with a name that ends in ‘n’ ん, the last letter of the Japanese alphabet.

Like the alphabet, things ending in ‘n’ signify that we have reached the end, and that the circle begins again. That’s why pumpkin, Daikon radish, and Ninjin carrots, are all popular choices at this time of year, and on this day in particular.

Of course the winter solstice means that the coldest days of the year are ahead, but it also means that the days will become longer! So, have some pumpkin soup, maybe some fried Daikon with mince, or perhaps a carrot soup, and embrace the winter, it’s going to be sticking around for a while, but it also brings more light!

ENJOYED THIS? HAVE MORE.

MOUNTAINS OF WISDOM

Subscribe to my yamabushi newsletter

RECENT BLOG POSTS

a white door with red lever above a warning sign
The Lever
black and white photo of clocks
Long-term Decisions
blank paper with pen and coffee cup on wood table
It’s not the coffee.

YAMABUSHI BLOG POSTS

The Podcast Fellowship Experience: Day One
powerful athletes competing in triathlon race
Pace and place
crop unrecognizable female designer drawing on paper in office
Unsure how to respond to someone? Use writing to clear your head

RANDOM POSTS

Explore your boundaries with creativity
boys playing soccer during day
The companion to low expectations
The receptive and productive lag in second language learning
Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi

Get In Touch

Sakata City, Yamagata, Japan 

tim@timbunting.com

Share this:

Like this:

Like Loading...
Scroll to Top
%d