Shubun no Hi - Japan

"Shubun no Hi" is Autumnal Equinox day, 
which comes on September 23 or 24. 
It is one of Japanese National Holidays.
We visit the graves of our ancestors to pay our
respects. 
We call the week centering around the vernal and
autumn equinoxes "Higan". The flowers are called
"Higan-bana" --- cluster amaryllis. They bloom
around the autumn equinox by roadsides, riverbanks,
and rice fields.

Photo by Sota (8th grade)
Stories by TORIGOE Yuko
LABO Torigoe Party
Okayama, Japan
September 23, '99