Advent of autumn celebrated

Islamabad:The spirit of valuing each season as well as seasonal transitions are deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

During the transition from summer to winter and from winter to summer, people in Japan respect the significance of nature. For them, fruitful autumn is just as festive as beautiful blooming spring in Japan. To keep this spirit alive, Madam WADA Naoko, spouse ofAmbassador of Japan to Pakistan, hosted an event at the ambassador’s residence titled “How Beautiful the Moon is” to welcome the autumn season together with friends from diplomatic community in Islamabad.

The event started with an informative lecture regarding the significance of autumn to the Japanese people. The main theme was Tsukimi (Japan's Moon-viewing tradition). This autumn tradition has been uniquely expanded into various scenes such as festival, art and Japanese cuisine. Madam WADA highlighted the spirit of celebrating change of seasons while she is in Pakistan where it is currently transiting from a very hot summer to cooler autumn.

"Celebration of full moon is a very old tradition and is widely practiced in Japan even to this day," she said. After the lecture, participants experienced autumn through traditional Japanese cuisine curated by the Japanese chef. Participants also appreciated the photos of the Moon taken in Pakistan and displayed there.