A collection of trivia and fun facts about September as we await autumn
September marks the time when, despite the lingering late-summer heat, a hint of autumn slowly begins to drift in.
With school events like sports festivals and cultural festivals, moon-viewing, and Respect for the Aged Day, there’s plenty to look forward to—every bit as fun as summer was not long ago!
In this article, we’ll introduce trivia and fun facts about September.
We’ve gathered a variety of topics, from seasonal events and foods to commemorative days in September.
Once you know these, you’re sure to enjoy September even more!
Through these bits of trivia and fun facts, take a moment to savor what’s in season this September.
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Trivia and fun facts about September as we await autumn (1–10)
September 4 is the opening day of Tokyo DisneySea.
On September 4, 2001, Tokyo DisneySea was born as the world’s first Disney park themed around the sea.
The concept for Japan’s second Disney park was announced in 1988.
Overcoming various challenges—including clashes with the U.S.
headquarters—construction began in 1998, ten years later, and the long-awaited grand opening came 13 years after the announcement.
Even now, with new areas debuting one after another, DisneySea continues to evolve beyond our expectations.
We can’t take our eyes off what’s next.
The sports day started in the Meiji era.
Sports festivals are often held in September and October.
Nowadays, considering the lingering heat, they are also frequently held in May and June.
These sports festivals actually began in the Meiji era.
The event considered Japan’s first sports festival is said to be the “Kyōtō Yūgikai,” held in 1874 (Meiji 7) at an institution that trained naval officers.
At the time, the navy reportedly had very few classes involving physical activity.
Seeing this, the head of the British Naval Advisory Mission organized the event to help relieve stress—marking Japan’s first sports festival.
Afterwards, it spread to schools nationwide, and the tradition continues to this day.
September 1 is Disaster Prevention Day.
Prompted by the Great Kanto Earthquake that struck on September 1, 1923, this date was designated as Disaster Prevention Day.
Another reason for this designation is that the full-fledged typhoon season begins in September, increasing the likelihood of severe damage beyond earthquakes.
In fact, the Ise Bay Typhoon that occurred in September 1959 caused extensive damage.
In recent years as well, not only typhoons but also localized torrential rains have led to major disasters.
Since the week starting September 1 is also designated as Disaster Prevention Week, let’s take this opportunity to think once again about disaster preparedness.
Moon viewing was brought from China during the Heian period.
The roots of moon viewing lie in China! It’s said that records related to moon viewing appear in documents from the Tang dynasty, which began in 618.
In Japan, the custom spread during the Nara and Heian periods, after 710.
It became popular among the aristocracy as an elegant pastime, and by the Edo period it had taken root among commoners as an autumn event to pray for a bountiful harvest.
Incidentally, in Murasaki Shikibu’s masterpiece The Tale of Genji, there is a depiction of a “moon banquet,” where people enjoy wine and music during the Mid-Autumn full moon.
September is called Nagatsuki in the old lunar calendar because the nights grow longer.
In the old lunar calendar, September is called “Nagatsuki.” This name comes from the fact that autumn deepens and the nights gradually grow longer.
For that reason, it was originally called “Yonagazuki” (long-night month), which was later shortened to “Nagatsuki.” In the lunar calendar, however, the ninth month roughly corresponds to October today.
Therefore, in the past, this period marked an even deeper autumn than our present-day September.
There are also several other theories about the origin of the name: some say it comes from “nagame,” referring to the season when long rains tend to continue, and others say it was called “inekari-zuki,” the month of rice harvesting, as it is when the harvest begins.