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Japan has a traditional calendar, originally developed in China, which measures the passage of time based observing the sun and accompanying changes in the natural environment.  It was especially used by people who needed to keep track of when to plant crops, and when to harvest them.  This calendar is called: 節気 (SEKKI) and has been used in Japan for over 1,500 years.  According to SEKKI, the year is divided into 24 sections, with each one reflecting a seasonal change in nature and the weather, etc.  Of interest, 07 August 2025 was 立秋 (Risshu) -- the beginning of autumn.  Ironically, some of the hottest summer weather followed that date, but the days slowly get shorter and evenings longer.  In Yokosuka City, the schools' summer vacation period ends during the last week of August.  So, as the students go back to school, parents are unburdened, shopping malls and movie theaters empty out, and the number of visitors to swimming beaches lessens.  There is no "Labor Day Weekend" in Japan, however a couple of national holidays are celebrated during September -- "Respect for the Aged Day" (敬老の日/Kei-ro no hi) on the 15th, and the Autumnal Equinox (秋分の日/Shu-bun no hi) on the 23rd.  Of interest, starting in late August, many retail stores and shopping centers will start selling colorful Halloween goods & decorations -- Japan having adopted Halloween as a seasonal celebration ... And the sale of bats, ghosts, and jack-o-lanterns, etc., insinuates a feeling of the cooler weather which is still several weeks away.  One final note, September is the month when typhoon storms often approach Japan from the southern seas, bringing strong winds and rain -- breaking-up the hot weather patterns. Written by Good field