One of the stranger assertions that you’ll hear is that one of Japan’s best features is its four, distinct seasons. That may sound benign at first, but for some, the implication is that these four seasons—winter, spring, summer, and fall—are unique characteristic of Japan, that it’s the only country in the world that enjoys this natural phenomenon.

As a foreigner, my first reaction to hearing that was one of incredulity. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! Places all over the world have four seasons, how could somebody actually believe that they only happen in Japan?!

Obviously, some this isn’t something that every single Japanese person believes and will vehemently defend, but it’s still something that’s present in the popular consciousness. In the years since I’ve heard about this belief, I’ve wondered a lot about where it comes from.

Here are some of the theories—from the absurd to the more credible—about how this belief about the four seasons came about:

Poetry

One theory I’ve heard behind the Japanese four seasons belief is that it’s derived from Chinese poetry. Japan, through its cultural ties with China, has a long, rich tradition of poetry celebrating the four seasons.

Chinese poetry and, subsequently Japanese poetry, have historically been celebrated and influential artforms in their respective cultures and around the world. You only have to look at the haiku style of poetry and its prevalence outside of Japan to see poetry’s cultural impact.

One of the most common themes of East Asian poetry is nature, and more specifically the unique feelings of the seasons. There’s even a special word for a word or phrase in poetry about the seasons: kigo (季語).

Take these poems by master poet Matsuo Basho:

Рiping autumn wind
blows with wild piercing voice
through the sliding door…

Soon they have to die,
but there is no sign of it
in cicadas’ cries.

Tis the first snow—
Just enough to bend
The gladiolus leaves!

Each of these paints a very vivid picture of a particular season, envoking different, natural phenomena—like cicada, autumn wind, and snow—to set the tone. This Japanese Life has a great post about Japanese poets celebrating the turning of the seasons with more examples.

Evidently, Korean people also sometimes make the claim that their country is unique in enjoying four seasons. This would support the Chinese poetry theory, since both Korea and Japan have a shared cultural heritage from China.

I’m not sure how Japan and Korea will settle which country truly has four seasons. This could be an issue bigger than the disputed islands! Will this be the next big diplomatic struggle between the two nations? Time will tell.

Festivals

The Japanese calendar is littered with all kinds of cultural celebrations, both national and local. Many of them are based on the turning of the season, or at the very least coincide very closely with the changing of one season to the next.

In Japan, going out to picnic and watch the cherry blossoms during hanami is an obvious, visible marker that spring has arrived. Obon often marks the end of the summer, with the ever-present cicadas providing background music to the festivities.

These nationally-celbrated holidays give a cadence to the passing of the year, marking the beginnings and ends to the seasons. Japan’s seasonal festivals are far from unique in their timing and significance—I can think of many holidays celebrated here in the US that have seasonal significant.

In the United States, Memorial Day and Labor Day bookend the summer, and harvest celebrations Halloween and Thanksgiving provide landmarks in the fall. That’s not to mention commononly religious holidays like Easter, which fits in with the whole theme of spring as a time of renewal.

It may be that the holidays and festivals in Japan are so distinctly Japanese that it can be hard to see the equivalents in other cultures. Labor Day? Is that like Obon?

Japanese Exceptionalism

One theory that Koichi mentioned in a Tofugu post years ago blames a set of fringe beliefs known as “Nihonjinron.” Nihonjinron comprises a wide set of ridiculous claims about how Japanese people are unique and, in some cases, superior to other peoples. These beliefs are ultra-nationalist and borderline (if not blatantly) racist.

Some Nihonjinron beliefs cover Japan’s supposedly unique geography, and how it’s affected Japanese biology and psychology. It’s easy to imagine how this train of thought might lead to the notion of a uniquely Japanese four seasons.

The literature blog No-Sword quotes one Nihonjinron author who, while admitting that Europe also has four seasons, notes that Japan’s climate is unique among Asia:

Japan is rich in seasonal change without widely separated extremes in temperature, and this climate must surely be the most important foundation stone on which the Japanese way of life and artistic expression rest

I should stress that these kind of Nihonjinron beliefs are, of course, absurd and far from mainstream Japanese thought; not to mention that this kind of environmental determinism is largely frowned upon in academic fields. It is, however, very easy to draw a line between these Nihonjinron beliefs and belief in Japan’s unique four seasons.

What’s In a Season?

I have to come clean and at least mention that not every place in the world has the same kind of distinct four seasons that Japan does. Many parts of the globe have climates that don’t lend themselves to seasons with neat beginnings and ends. When I think of a place like Los Angeles, it’s hard to see much difference between the seasons—it all just seems to run together.

But as long as we’re being honest, the idea of all of Japan having these discernible four seasons is questionable at best. Geographically, Japan’s not a huge place, but it’s large enough to have big variations in climate between different areas of the country. The tropical southern islands of Japan are unlikely to see the kind of snow that great poets write about, and the very northern tip of Japan is probably shivering from the cold as people in Tokyo get drunk at hanami.

Throw in the rainy seasons to the equation and it gums up the works. Do typhoons constitute their own season? Are there actually five, or even six seasons in Japan?

So clearly, the notion that Japan is the only place in the world with four, distinct seasons is a ludicrous idea that’s clearly and demonstrably not true; but the belief, and the theories behind them are endlessly fascinating, and might even lend some insight into other cultural phenomena.

Wallpapers and GIFs!

Want to watch the uniquely Japanese seasons turn? Our amazing artist Aya has provided us with some desktop backgrounds and animated GIFs of the header image. Enjoy!

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This article is all about Shikoku (四国: Four Countries/Prefectures), the smallest of the four main islands of Japan.  If you want to get off the beaten track, this should definitely be one of your top priorities.  Most Japanese people associate this place as the ultimate inaka (田舎: rural) destination.  In the Tokyo area, it is highly unlikely that you will ever experience total silence or darkness, but Shikoku is one place in Japan you’ll find it.  In order for you to get the full experience in Shikoku, I’ll be covering the best local foods, dialects, festivals, and finally some AMAZING adventures you can take.

Shikoku’s Food

Repeat after me:

“I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN!!!”

While you’re in Shikoku, you’re going to be crying tears of joy for having tasted this intense bowl of flavor and weeping big wet tears of sorrow when you get back to the states and find out that you probably wont find it ANYWHERE.  It truly is the heroin of Japanese cuisine.  If you don’t know anything about Japanese ramen, much less ramen in Shikoku, you’re probably thinking “Psh!  If I’m going to go have adventures, why would I want to fuel up with Top Ramen?!”  The answer is, because it is absolutely nothing like anything you will ever find in a Costco.  Here is why:

For those of you who are on top of your TextFugu lessons, you’ll notice on the back of this bowl is written:

“徳島ラーメンが一番 (Tokushima ramenga ichiban)” meaning “TOKUSHIMA RAMEN IS THE BEST!!!”

Tokushima ramen is the pride and joy of Tokushima prefecture in Shikoku.  One of the ramen shops in Tokushima City actually opened a museum in 1999 dedicated to the awesomeness that is Tokushima ramen.  The things that make this ramen so magical are the soup, made from a pork and soy sauce base that is thicker than most other types, the thicker noodles, and a raw egg on top to add to that thick delicious texture and flavor.  You may need a nap after eating this baby rather than jumping right into adventuring!

While ramen should be your primary source of sustenance while in Shikoku, the Udon there is arguably preferred among locals.  Sanuki-udon, found in Kagawa Prefecture, is the most famous for the texture and shape of the noodles and also was supposedly the first region in Japan to adopt the dish from China.

Shikoku Dialects

Japanese = a language mostly limited to the islands of Japan.  Tokushima-ben = a Japanese dialect limited to one prefecture in Shikoku, the rural island in Japan.  You + Tokushima-ben = not being understood by hardly ANYONE ON EARTH.

If you’ve been studying Japanese already, chances are you are probably learning the Tokyo dialect.  Going to Shikoku is about as different as going from New York City to Birmingham, Alabama.  The real famous alternative dialect in Japan is of course Kansai-ben, found in Osaka and Kyoto, and Tokushima-ben is really not that different since it’s only a super long bridge away.  If you get to talking to some local people though, there will absolutely be times when you’re like 『徳島弁が全く分からないからゆっくり話してください。』 Meaning “I really don’t understand Tokushima-ben so please speak slowly.”  Here’s a sample conversation you might encounter:

A.  えっとぶりだ！(ettoburida!)　＝　久しぶりだ！(hisashiburida!)     “It’s been a while!”

A.  うちんくにいぬる？(uchinkuni inuru?)　＝　私の家に帰る？(watashino ieni modoru?)   “Do you want to go back to my house?”

B.  おまはんくそんなごついかえ…(omahannku sonnagotsuikae…)　＝　あなたの家はそんなにすごいでしょうか。”I wonder if your house is really that amazing…”

A.  こんまいけどきー！ (konnmaikedokii)　＝　小さいけど来てください！(chiisaikedo kitekudasai!) “It’s small but please come!”

As you can see, Tokushima-ben can get pretty ridiculous, but this is what you can expect if you head down to Shikoku.

Shikoku Festivals

The Awa-odori (阿波踊り:dance of Awa) is the place to be if you want to get your traditional Japanese groove on.  They’ve been partying like it’s 1999 every summer since 1585!  They may have about a 400 year head start, but that does not mean that you should not go party with them.  This harvest festival, a part of obon celebration (kind of like memorial day weekend), prides itself on two very important historical activities: drinking too much and dancing in silly clothes.  The basic moves of the dance are put your hands above your head, palms facing inward, and step forward to the beat moving left hand forward with the right foot and the opposite.  The dance is traditionally done in tightly bound kimonos and big straw hats in the sweltering heat so it the steps in the dance are very tiny.  No one goes very far very quickly, but it’s definitely not about the destination in this case.  The Awa-odori is truly a dance invented by the drunk, so if you go there and you can’t quite get the moves right, have a few more sips of sake, put your hands in the air, walk around a little, and you’ll fit right in! Here’s a video to motivate you to grab your dancing shoes:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZW6kbdjlEE']

The main event in Tokushima City runs from August 12th to 15th and is the largest dance festival in Japan with around 1.3 million viewers, but people are dancing all over the island that time of year so there are plenty of chances for you to practice!  Remember the wise words of the Awa-odori song: 『 踊る阿呆に見る阿呆、同じ阿呆なら踊らな損々』(odoru ahoni miru aho, onaji ahonara odorana sonson) “It’s a fool who dances and a fool who watches.  So if we’re both fools, you might as well have fun dancing!”

Shikoku Adventure

One of the most hardcore things you can do while in Japan is to walk the 88 temples of Shikoku.  Legend has it that Kobo Daishi, a famous Buddhist monk and scholar, was the first to visit all of these temples.  They say his spirit will accompany you if you chose to accept this pilgrimage.  If you really do choose to walk the entire route at once, it will take you around 5 to 7 weeks.  Visiting beautiful old rural temples, befriending the ghost of a famous monk, and taking a really long trek through mountains in the rain and heat, while people will even stop sometimes to give you gifts of encouragement!  What more could you ask for?  Locals are usually a little more sensible and visit the 88 temples over the course of a few years via car, so if you too want to get the enriching spiritual experience without the agonizing blisters on your feet, see about renting a car or moped, or getting friends who will take you.  If you want to do it, though, this is how you’d go about it.

If you’re looking to REALLY get off the beaten track, the Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷), also in Tokushima prefecture, is one of the three hidden regions (三大秘境) in Japan.  It is so remote that defeated warriors retreated to the region to hide out.  You can still visit several vine bridges that were originally set up to ensnare pursuing enemies!  If you are in to outdoor adventuring, Iya valley is home to great hiking and there is world class rafting in the nearby Oboke valley (大歩危).

These are just a couple of adventure ideas, but Shikoku is full of places off the beaten track.  You just need to get out there and explore!  If you get tired of roughing it, stop into Matsuyama, Ehime to relax at the famous Dougo Onsen, the oldest hot spring bathhouse in Japan!

Transportation In Shikoku:

From personal experience, Shikoku is not an easy place to travel in as far as finding public transportation.  Unlike on Honshu, you probably won’t be able to get to EVERYTHING you want to see via train.  That’s part of the fun though!  They’ve definitely got enough rail to get you to the major cities, and there are public busses in a lot of towns, but better yet, go make friends to have adventures with!

いろいろな地域を探検してみてください！(iroirona chiikiwo tanken shitemite kudasai) “GO EXPLORE!”