News&Articles

Counting 11 days from the Summer Solstice brings us to a period starting around July 2nd, which is known in Japan as Hangesho. This time of year marks a major turning point, signaling the long-awaited end of the rainy season and the beginning of the true, intense summer.

In fact, Japan has a unique, ancient custom of eating octopus during Hangesho. This tradition, which is especially deeply rooted in the Kansai region, holds the earnest prayers of farmers from long ago. For farmers in the past, it was extremely important to finish all rice planting by Hangesho. After finishing the planting, it is said that they started eating octopus with the prayer, "May the roots of the planted rice grip the earth as deeply and firmly as the eight legs of an octopus." In modern terms, this is the very concept of "grounding"—connecting with the earth.

Eating octopus, a summer superfood that aids in fatigue recovery, is not just for good luck. In Eastern dietary wisdom, octopus is a wonderful food that replenishes "Qi" (vital energy) and "Blood," while strengthening fatigued muscles and bones. Rich in taurine, octopus helps recover a digestive system exhausted by the humidity and barometric shifts of the rainy season, providing the stamina needed to overcome the upcoming intense summer heat.

There are also some other interesting facts about Hangesho besides the octopus. For example, Hange (Pinellia tuber). This is the exact time when the medicinal herb known as Hange begins to grow. It is highly effective for ailments caused by seasonal changes, such as mental stress, and serves as the foundation for the herbal medicine of the same name.

Furthermore, Hangesho was a crucial time for farmers; it was the absolute deadline for rice planting. There was a saying, "Hange Hansaku" (Half Hange, Half Crop), reflecting the belief that planting rice after Hangesho would reduce the autumn harvest by half. Because of this, farmers fought hard to ensure all planting was completed by this time, no matter how bad the weather was.

While eating octopus on Hangesho is mainly a Kansai tradition, customs vary by region. For instance, there is a custom of eating udon noodles in Kagawa Prefecture, and yaki-saba (roasted mackerel) in Fukui Prefecture. In this way, people historically ate specific foods tailored to their regional characteristics to build stamina for the coming summer.