ally
for That
While I wouldn’t say that 72 Seasons is a must-have, it is very informative for a free app. It is nice to know why my local izakaya has been serving sudachi in so many of their dishes lately, and that Pacific saury is best served heavily salted and grilled whole. It is also very pretty to look at. The many photos and illustrations are beautiful, and if 72 Seasons feels more like scrolling through a PDF version of a coffee table book than using an app, it’s because it essentially is the PDF version of a coffee table book, published by Heibonsha in 2013. That being said, users of the app should prepare to read some awkwardly-translated Engrish. For example, the app explains that the weather during the “White Dew” micro-season is “still relentlessly hot during this time, but at least we can gain some cool feelings from the name of this season.”
It also describes how saury prices decrease in autumn thusly: “the price goes south, and this is a favorable arrangement for the stomachs of the common people.” All in all, it’s worth checking out, and if you are travelling to Nara, I do recommend checking out 72 Seasons Nara, as it offers a ton of super helpful information about the prefecture. 72 Seasons is available for both IOS and Android devices. Veronique Hynes is a third-year ALT from Ottawa, Canada. She is enjoying all the perks that come with living in Nara prefecture: the deer, proximity to nature, persimmons, and the deer. Photos: 72 Seasons
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