Autumnal Equinox Day
A day to honor ancestors and remember the deceased
Shubun no Hi (Autumnal Equinox Day) is a national holiday celebrated around September 22nd or 23rd. Its purpose is "to honor ancestors and remember the deceased."
Astronomical Calculation
Like the Vernal Equinox in spring, the exact date is not fixed by law but is determined by astronomical calculations based on when the sun crosses the celestial equator. It marks the transition from summer to autumn, bringing cooler weather.
Aki no Ohigan
This holiday anchors the Buddhist festival of Aki no Ohigan. Because the sun sets exactly in the west (the direction of the Buddhist Pure Land) during the equinox, it is believed to be the time when the physical and spiritual worlds are closest. Families visit cemeteries to clean family graves, offer incense, and pray for their ancestors.
The traditional food for this season is ohagi—rice balls covered in sweet red bean paste. They are identical to the botamochi eaten in spring, but are named after the autumn bush clover (hagi).