Get the party started at your autumn food gathering! A collection of surprising trivia quizzes and fun facts you might not know

To pray for a good harvest

Jugoya, an autumn festival in Japan. Offering rice dumplings on Jugoya expresses gratitude for the autumn harvest and hopes for future bounty. People present dumplings shaped like the moon and pray for the safe ripening of crops.

Heian period

The Jugo-ya observance, commonly known as “moon viewing,” was originally a celebration of the harvest. Moon-viewing on the night of the full moon became popular among the aristocracy during the culturally flourishing Heian period. At that time, nobles enjoyed banquets where they gazed at the moon from by ponds or aboard boats.

Imoni (taro and meat stew)

Imoni gatherings are traditional hot-pot events mainly enjoyed in the Tohoku region in autumn, where people from children to adults come together along riverbanks and other spots. In particular, in Yamagata Prefecture, imoni made with taro, meat, konnyaku, and other ingredients is an iconic autumn tradition.

mushroom hunting

Autumn is the mushroom harvest season, and more people are enjoying mushroom picking with family and friends in the hills and fields or at specialized facilities. It’s a popular leisure activity where you can taste fresh mushrooms on the spot. The ability to obtain the flavors of autumn directly is also a key reason for its popularity.

Niinamesai (Harvest Festival)

Niinamesai is a traditional ceremony where people express gratitude to the deities by eating newly harvested rice and autumn delicacies. Chestnut rice is also commonly served at home and at events as a dish celebrating the autumn harvest. In autumn, you’ll often find “chestnut rice,” made with seasonal chestnuts, on the table.

ohagi (sweet rice balls coated with red bean paste)

During the autumn equinoctial week (Autumnal Equinox Day), there is a custom of eating ohagi—sweet rice cakes wrapped in red bean paste—to honor one’s ancestors. Ohagi are traditional Japanese confections made of glutinous rice covered with sweet red bean paste, and they also carry the meaning of giving thanks for the autumn harvest.

Because it is appropriate as an offering to our ancestors.

Ohagi have long been eaten on the autumnal equinox. The red color of the sweet red bean paste (azuki) has been believed to ward off misfortune and evil, making it suitable as an offering to one’s ancestors. So there are reasons rooted in old customs and in the ingredients of the bean paste.