This email is sent to guests who have dined with us at HIGASHI-YAMA Tokyo and our affiliated restaurants and to those who have registered from our website.

We hope you are doing well as the rainy season comes to an end and a period of severe heat ensues.

In the old Japanese lunisolar calendar, July is called “Fumizuki” and there are several theories about the origins of this name. In July, a festival called “Tanabata” takes place during which people write wishes or poetry on colorful strips of paper and then hang them on special bamboo trees. Because of the strong association between this festival and month, one theory is that the name is a shortened version of the word “Fumihirakizuki,” which means the month of opening letters. Other ideas suggest that the name is a shortened version of the words “Hofumizuki” or “Fukumizuki,” which refer to the season when the rice ears swell and become ready for harvest. Farmers are surely writing their wishes in hope that the rice ears swell safely and that this year’s harvest is abundant.

We will be featuring various ingredients of the summer, from colorful summer vegetables to many other seasonal dishes.

We are looking forward to your visit.

Chef Kazuki Watanabe