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From Takibi to Yaki-imo: Remembering Japan’s Early Winter Traditions
November 7 is Ritto, 立冬, the beginning of winter in the traditional 24 solar terms on the Japanese calendar.
This chilly wind blowing over Japan is known as kogarashi, autumn gale. The kogarashi wind reminds me of my childhood, evoking the iconic late-autumn song, 'Takibi'.
Takibi is making a bonfire by burning large piles of fallen leaves gathered to generate heat, which warms our bodies and incinerates leaves. To avoid wasting the generated heat, people in the past would throw sweet potatoes into the fire and enjoy the baked sweet potato, known as yaki-imo.
Today, ground-level bonfires are prohibited, and there are no takibi, or communal outdoor scenes of burning fallen leaves, in Japan. This song is a symbolic representation of the past cultural practice.
Some cultural practices disappear, while others remain resilient. Yaki-imo (stone-baked potatoes) is one of them. Since its creation in the late 18th century, when it was sold at small storefronts, it has remained the ultimate autumn-to-winter delicacy.
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