Japanese people who speak English usually refer to Fall as Autumn. I think it just makes for less confusion considering that fall also has other meanings. Anyway, autumn is a special time in Japan. Japanese people generally seem to pay more attention to the seasons that Westerners do. There could be a number of reasons for this, so I will make up my own theory to add to the others. Westerners have been trying to overcome nature so long that we have forgotten about its beauties. We generally pay little attention to the coming blizzard when there is an important shopping trip planned. Of course, Japanese people are generally considered nature lovers, but you have to wonder why the pollution is so bad in Tokyo (not to mention the reports of rainforest destruction by companies like Mitsubishi) if people really care about the world.
Anyway, so Japanese people like to talk about the turning of the
seasons. During the recent Waseda Festival, I joined the Hiking Club for
a camping trip in Nagano prefecture. At first the weather was not too
cooperative, but the trees were truly beautiful. I mountains in the
Kisouji area were not so high, but they were certainly pretty to look
at. Considering that I come from Illinois (it's very flat for those who
don't know), I was in paradise. The mountains were covered with a
variety of trees in different stages of their autumn color-changing.
There were evergreens interspersed with lots of different deciduous trees
(it's bad enough that I don't know the names of any of the trees, but I
can't even spell deciduous right). I don't remember seeing such variety
in places in America, but maybe I just have not gone to the right place
yet. Plus, I realized that part of the reason for the mix of trees was
that many of the original trees had been cut and replanted.
Anyway, so I enjoyed myself in Nagano and tried to improve my Japanese while traveling with the Arukoukai. After our little camping trip, all of the members of the club gathered at one of Waseda's "Seminar House"s near Sugadaira. Autumn is also the time when all of the clubs say goodbye to the third-year students. When April rolls around, they will all become fourth-year students, and will be fairly busy with whatever it is Japanese college students do. So anyway, we had another little drinking party to mark this occasion.
This may stray a little from the topic of Autumn, but I think it is interesting to explain how this drinking party is done. The main part of the party (lasting about five hours or so) consisted of seemingly endless toasts to the third-year students. Each third-year member would take his or her turn standing in the middle of the room. Any members who had something special to tell this person would approach and make a sort of toast. They would talk about anything funny or sad that they experienced together. Then the two people would lock arms, in a Western wedding-cake eating style, and drink up. Then the receiver of the toast would add something to the funny story or offer advice to the younger member. Then the two would shake hands and go on.
Each of the third-year members must have made at least fifteen toasts in this manner. They would start with sake or beer and work their way down to tea. Needless to say, I think most of them were sick before the night was half over. I didn't like the drinking too much, but the whole ceremony had a rather warm feeling. It reminded me of the closeness between my high school friends at a small school in Illinois. Anyway, so that is autumn in the Hiking Club. Yesterday we elected (or rather approved the previous selections for) the various positions in the club. And things move on...
Honestly the weather isn't too autumn-like here in Tokyo. We have had some rain and the daily weather forecasts are generally still around 20C. However, autumn is definitely here. The tempura restaurant where I like to eat lunch is now serving a "autumn flavor lunch set." The "winter" beers are already on sale in the vending machines and I have heard that Ginza is decorating for Christmas.
Personally I am preparing to write a few papers for my classes that will end in about three weeks. I am still searching for ways to meet Japanese friends. I am still troubled by my lack of Japanese language proficiency. And I am still writing my journal.