Tomoko Otake, Fall is the new summer: Warming threatens Japan’s cultural calendar, The Japan Times, Nov. 19, 2023.
On one hand is a cold beverage; in the other, a paper fan.
Clad in a yukata (summer kimono) and perched on the embankment of a river, you look up at the sky. Bright sparks spread out like big flowers on the pitch-black canvas, accompanied by bangs and crackles. A slight smell of mosquito-repellent incense drifts through the air.
Watching firework displays has long been a quintessential summer experience in Japan, with relatively cooler evenings offering a moment’s respite from the unrelenting daytime heat.
At this year’s riverside fireworks festival in Itako, Ibaraki Prefecture, however, the vibe was markedly different.
For haiku poets, the disappearance of a season is an existential threat.
After a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the festival once again entertained locals and visitors alike with 3,000 fireworks. But instead of yukata, people wore sweatshirts and down jackets, with some laying out blankets on their laps. That’s because the event was held in late October for the first time.
“It’s too cold to wear a yukata in this weather,” said Yuka Ishida, 37, who was visiting Itako from a neighboring city with her friend.
More generally:
Climate change — as evidenced by the record-beating heat the world experienced this year, including unusually high temperatures in November across Japan — is disrupting the nation’s autumn and seasonal experiences, and with it the rhythm of people’s lives. [...]
The impact of autumn's fade is huge — not just environmentally but also socially and culturally. Hordes of businesses rely on seasonal demand, be it beer companies with autumn specials or operators of viewing tours to see colorful leaves. And for haiku poets, the disappearance of a season is an existential threat.
There's more at the link.
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