
Persimmon Day | October 26th
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Did you know there is a Persimmon Day in Japan? Itโs October 26th.
So, why this specific date?
While visiting a temple, the famous haiku poet Shiki Matsuoka ate his favorite fruit, persimmon. He thenย wrote his world-renowned haiku about persimmon. All this happened on October 26th, 1895.

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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(โ) or(-) west(-)
the same(โ-) elegance(โ)
in autumn(โ) winds(โ)
If we translate Shiki Matsuokaโs persimmon poem, it is something like this.
ho-ru(โ) temple(โ)
persimmon(โ-) taste(โ)
here(โ) comes(โ) fall(โ)
Itโs 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. Itโs said that this haiku was created to show his appreciation for his friendโs support. His friend had written a similar poem to help Shiki Matsuoka heal from his illness.
As a persimmon ambassador, itโs time for us to appreciate the persimmon harvest. So, October 26th is like Thanksgiving for Mirai Clinical!