Official

　This year, even in the fall on the calendar, the hot days continue, and "season newsletters" such as "Akiakane Hatsumi" and "Mozu Hatsune" tend to be delayed. "Japanese pampas grass Flowering" in Tokyo was announced on September 14 this year, five days later than normal and nine days later than last year. By the way, the flowering of Japanese pampas grass is "the day when the number of ears extracted from the leaf sheath reaches 20% of the total that the ears are expected to come out." Japanese pampas grass is a perennial herb distributed in fields throughout Japan, and is one of the seven herbs in autumn, also known as Obana. In the old days, it was written in Manyoshu, appeared in The Tale of Genji and pillows, and was used as a motif for Japanese painting/Makie, local toys, and thatched roofs.

In the moon viewing season, thanks for the autumn harvest, we would like to add rice ears, which originally symbolize fruit, along with harvests such as potatoes and beans, but since it was before rice harvesting, it is said that the Japanese pampas grass, which came out, was placed in a vase.　Japanese pampas grass has long been believed to be the place of God, yorishiro because of its hollow stems, and it is believed that the sharp cut of Japanese pampas grass would be amulet. Therefore, I hear that the moon viewing Japanese pampas grass has the meaning of protecting the harvest from evil spirits and evils and wishing for a good harvest next year. Depending on the area, it seems that there is still a custom of hanging on the eaves to protect rice fields and houses from disasters.

Along the shore of Hakozaki River Green Road, Japanese pampas grass is blowing in the autumn breeze against the backdrop of Eitai Bridge.