It is a spectacle as enigmatic as any annual mass migration in the animal kingdom.Visit the sun-blessed sands near Tokyo any day in August and you’ll witness millions ambling out from their air-conditioned roosts into the soupy afternoon heat and heading for the waves.
But once August is over, nothing. Emptiness.
This year the end of August was unseasonably cold, so you might have expected the return of heat and sun for the rump of September to be greeted with whoops and splashes. But no, the shore remains painfully jilted even at weekends. Only dogs, their owners, and a few gaijin (foreigners) take to the forsaken coastline now the party has ended.
I – Word Understanding
spectacle – notable
enigmatic – difficult to understand
ambling out – walking leisurely
roost – a place to rest / sleep
II – Have Your Say
1. Why are Japan;s beaches deserted on September 1?
2. It is said that most Japanese are very conscious about the “four season” and what they should do in each season. Do you still practice these?
* Shokuyoku no aki (time of hearty appetites)
* Tsukimi (moon viewing)
* Dokusho no aki (autumn reading)
* Supotsu no aki (autumn sport)
