Fabyan Japanese Garden in winter. Photo from archives of Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, 2021.
In Japan, the winter solstice signals the retreating of winter and the welcoming of the returning sun. Called Tōji(冬至)in Japanese, the winter solstice is the first official day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and has the shortest period of daylight.[1] In 2023, this day is December 21 in the U.S. and December 22 in Japan.
Western cultures tend to view the winter solstice as the darkest day of the year; dreary and sad. In Japan, however, the winter solstice is a day of celebration! From this day forward, Japanese people recognize that the sun will appear more and soon warm the earth bringing brighter days literally and figuratively.
Japanese Traditions of the Winter Solstice
Bonfires, warm baths with yuzu fruit, and eating kabocha squash are common traditions in Japan on the day of Tōji. Bonfires are lit to welcome the sun’s return with the largest on Mt. Fuji, Japan’s tallest mountain.[2] Yuzu fruit, similar to a grapefruit and bright yellow when ripe, is added to warm baths and hot springs to provide an aromatherapeutic bath. This East Asian fruit, when added to a bath, is believed to provide healing and protection from sickness.[3] Meals containing kabocha squash are commonly eaten on the day of Tōji. Eating this winter vegetable with a sweet flavor inside its hard, dark green skin is believed to bring one good luck.[4]
Japanese Garden in the Winter
A celebration of winter is also represented in a Japanese garden. Plantings in a Japanese garden, such as evergreens, are chosen for their beauty under a layer of fresh fallen snow. Other features, such as the snow lantern (or Yukimi-Gata) pictured above from the Fabyan Japanese Garden, are made so that they will capture the snowfall. Together, these plantings and other features create a “winter bloom” that is almost magical.
While the Fabyan Japanese Garden is closed during the winter, you can still experience this winter bloom! After a snowfall, visit the Fabyan Forest Preserve—open from dawn until dusk—and walk around the outside of the garden. The Fabyan Japanese Garden will reopen on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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[1] “Toji (The Winter Solstice) (冬至),” Japanese Wiki, accessed December 18, 2023, https://www.japanesewiki.com/culture/Toji%20(The%20Winter%20Solstice).html.
[2] History.com Editors, “Winter Solstice: Toji,” History.com, last updated December 11, 2023, accessed December 18, 2023, https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/winter-solstice.
[3] Dat Pham, “Yuzu Bath—A Japanese Tradition for the Winter Solstice,” Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, November 22, 2022, accessed December 18, 2023, https://www.jcccw.org/nikkei-news/yuzu-bath-a-japanese-tradition-for-the-winter-solstice.
[4] History.com Editors, “Winter Solstice: Toji,” History.com, last updated December 11, 2023, accessed December 18, 2023, https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/winter-solstice.