Japanese Fall specialities

• Sweet potato
  

Very popular for its soft texture and sweet taste, sweet potato is a staple in Japanese cuisine. And although it is enjoyed throughout the year, in autumn you'll find it as much in seasonal specialties like curry and soup, as well as in some desserts!

• Persimmon
  

The persimmon, called kaki in Japanese, is the autumn fruit par excellence in Japan. Whether eaten alone as-is or accompanying a dessert, it is found on all Japanese tables as the days grow shorter.

• Pumpkin
  

In addition to being a popular seasonal vegetable when the weather is getting colder, types of pumpkin are popular in Japan because of the resemblance to the jack-o-lantern, the undisputed hallmark of Halloween around the world! This is why many cafes and restaurants incorporate it into their menus throughout the month of October, whether savory or sweet.

Related : Celebrate Halloween in Tokyo

• Shinmai, new rice
  

As autumn marks the end of the rice season, the Japanese take the opportunity to eat shinmai, the "new rice". Less firm than usual rice, shinmai is produced only from September to December, before losing its status of "new" rice when the New Year begins. It is customary to consume shinmai with other seasonal products such as ginkgo nuts and matsutake mushrooms.

• Sanma fish
  

The sanma, or Pacific saury, is a very popular fish in fall on the Japanese archipelago. Much larger and fatter than usual, it has been eaten at this time of year since the Edo period (1603-1868), and is often enjoyed as sashimi as well as grilled or served in sauce.

Dessert buffets

In Japan, seasonal calendar events tend to mean special menus from major restaurants. And fall doesn't escape this rule, of course! Persimmon cakes, sweet potato lattes and pumpkin cheesecake, many autumnal sweets appear on the dessert buffets of major city hotels at this time of year.

WHERE?

• Grand Hyatt Tokyo
  

In addition to its special Halloween buffet, the Grand Hyatt offers a koyo dessert buffet until the end of the season. On the menu? Chestnut cream, apple crumble, pumpkin cocktails and more.

More information

Address: Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Roppongi 6-10-3, Minato-ku
Opening hours: 15:00 - 17:00, until 31st October
Price: cocktails from 1,700 yen ($15)
Access: a few minutes walk from Roppongi Station (Hibiya or Oedo line)

• The PeninsulaTokyo Hotel
  

Every year, the Peninsula Hotel organizes its "autumn afternoon", two hours during which participants are invited to sample a whole array of seasonal desserts such as chocolate fondant cake, pumpkin mousse or sweet potato pudding.

More Information

Address :1-8-1Yurakucho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0006 
Opening hours :14:30 - 17:00, until 30th November
Price :3,900 yen ($34)
Access:opposite Hibiya station (Hibiya, Chiyoda,Mita lines)

Chain store offerings

Less expensive than the fancy restaurant menus, many of the most popular fast food chains in Japan also offer some seasonal specials! And whether in cafes like Starbucks and Tully's, or in fast food restaurants like Gasuto and McDonald's, many chains offer drinks or desserts with an autumn feel.