Photo/Illutration Persimmons are seen in a mountain village in Saitama Prefecture on Nov.2, 2018. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Have you ever noticed that when the fruit on a "kaki" (Japanese persimmon) tree is harvested, one persimmon is left unpicked?

That solitary persimmon is known as a "ki-mamori" (literally, "tree protector"), according to an essay by Masako Shirasu (1910-1998).

Wondering if leaving that fruit in the tree is a good-luck superstition for a bigger harvest the following year, Shirasu writes, "It could also represent a gesture of courtesy toward Mother Nature. ... Or, perhaps it reveals the kindheartedness of people who imagined how sad the persimmon tree would be after it has shed all its fruits and leaves."

The sight of a single small orange-red fruit against the blue autumn sky must have captivated Shirasu.

I can't help feeling lately that autumn in Japan has become shorter because summer lingers forever. But plenty of nature's bounties still grace each season.

The persimmon is a centuries-old autumn specialty. I understand it was already being eaten during the Nara Period (710-794).

I spoke with officials of an agricultural cooperative in a persimmon-producing region in Kyushu a few years back. They told me of their woes due to the declining demand for the fruit. Consumers were shunning any fruit that has to be peeled, they lamented.

What a shame people are no longer enjoying the delightful sweetness of persimmons, just because they can't be bothered to peel them.

Poet Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902), who loved to eat and was quite partial to the persimmon, penned this famous haiku: "Kaki kueba/ Kane ga naru nari/ Horyuji." (Eating persimmons/ The bell of Horyuji temple tolling.)

Shiki explained in his essay that he heard the tolling of a temple bell when he was tucking into a bowlful of persimmons at an inn in Nara. He further noted with a touch of self-congratulation, "Traditionally, poets have never given the time of day to something as humdrum as the persimmon. ..."

Had Shiki not written that haiku, perhaps people who came after him wouldn't have found this fruit as inspirational as it has become.

Because of its color, some stores in recent years have begun to display them as a Halloween item. Perhaps I should see this as a new, inspiring trend.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 24

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.