Persimmon Day | October 26th
Did you know there is a Persimmon Day in Japan? It’s October 26th.
So, why this specific date?
While visiting a temple, the famous haiku poet Shiki Matsuoka ate his favorite fruit, persimmon. He then wrote his world-renowned haiku about persimmon. All this happened on October 26th, 1895.
Later, the temple was declared a World Heritage site.
A haiku poem is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that consists of 3 lines. The first and last lines of a haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.
Here is an example of a haiku in English, from Art of Haiku.
east(—) or(-) west(-)
the same(—-) elegance(—)
in autumn(—) winds(–)
If we translate Shiki Matsuoka’s persimmon poem, it is something like this.
ho-ru(–) temple(—)
persimmon(—-) taste(—)
here(–) comes(–) fall(—)
It’s recommended to use seasonal words in haikus and persimmon was used to imply fall. At that time, Shiki Matsuoka was very sick from a war, but managed to visit the temple. It’s said that this haiku was created to show his appreciation for his friend’s support. His friend had written a similar poem to help Shiki Matsuoka heal from his illness.
As a persimmon ambassador, it’s time for us to appreciate the persimmon harvest. So, October 26th is like Thanksgiving for Mirai Clinical!