When the Sanma appears, the masseuse stays home

While in Kichijoji this week, I noticed that for the whole length of one shopping arcade, there were flags of sanma (saury) at regular intervals. The flags featured a gleaming sanma, a maple leaf and the slogan "秋の旬、連れてきました" or "We've brought the season's best of autumn."

It is a simple message capturing a very Japanese custom of tying foods to a season. Sanma is one of Japan's most iconic autumn foods, with the season woven into its very name. The first kanji for Sanma 秋刀魚 means "autumn" (秋), and its arrival in shops, restaurants, and markets signals the changing season as surely as colorful leaves or cooler evenings. 

In Japan, autumn is associated with familiar expressions such as shokuyoku no aki (the autumn appetite), celebrating the abundance of seasonal foods. Sanma is one of the stars of that harvest. There is even a saying, 秋刀魚がでると、あんまが引っ込む which means "When the Sanma appears, the masseuse stays home", similar to the Western saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".  

The flags in Kichijoji are a reminder of one of the season's healthy offerings,but also herald that autumn has arrived in Kichijoji.