Autumn

A wonderful and rather endearing characteristic of the Japanese in Kyoto is the tendency to get extremely excited about the nuances of each changing season.

The latest developments of the cherry blossom trees is general a hot news topic as that season approaches, and with the coming of Autumn, conversation seems to centre on where the best areas are to view the changing of the maple leaves.

The avid interest that the Japanese seemed to have for the seasons was certainly contagious, and before I knew it I felt as excited as they did about finding where the best maple-viewing areas might be.

Autumn is the perfect time to go temple-hopping in Kyoto, with the weather finally becoming bearable and the vibrant colours of the leaves accentuating the already stunning temple buildings.

Taking the time to appreciate the seasons here in Japan has also given me a new appreciation for the natural beauty in Canada that I have always taken for granted. It is well worth noting the changes - both subtle and dramatic - that are wrought on the world around us as the cycle of the seasons continues. Autumn not only changes the colours around us here in Kyoto, but is also the beginning of the many changes that take place in the Japanese diet as the cold weather approaches.

Japanese seem to relish the little things, like the ripening of the persimmon harvest and the switch from cold noodles to hot ones. Although at first amused by the total change in the diet of my students as Autumn came, I have come to appreciate the sensibility of having food to suit the weather.

That being said, Autumn also brings with it the 'Yaki-imo' truck; a rickety old pickup with a smoke stack that drives through residential neighbourhoods late at night selling baked potatoes. I can't say that I will miss going to sleep as a flaming truck chugs slowly by the apartment, singing about the virtues of the baked potato through a loudspeaker. Nothing says autumn like a baked potato.