Tsukemono (Japanese Pickles) Day
Food DaysWhat Is Tsukemono Day?
The 21st of every month is "Tsukemono Day," Japanese Pickles Day. It was set by the All Japan Pickles Cooperative Association after the Konomono Matsuri, a pickle festival held each year on August 21 at Kayatsu Shrine in Ama, Aichi Prefecture. The aim is to pass on Japan's pickling culture.
A Shrine to the Deity of Pickles
The date rests not on a pun but on a shrine festival tied to the legendary origin of pickling.
- Origin of the date: Kayatsu Shrine's Konomono Matsuri falls on August 21, so the 21st of each month was chosen
- Established by: the All Japan Pickles Cooperative Association
- Kayatsu Shrine: enshrines Kayanuhime no Kami, revered as the ancestral deity of pickles
- Location: Ama City, Aichi Prefecture
The Legend of the Offering in a Jar
Kayatsu Shrine preserves a story about how pickling began. Villagers offered the first vegetables of the fields and salt from the sea, but the offerings spoiled where they lay. When someone placed them in an earthenware jar instead, the vegetables and salt worked on each other and became a well-seasoned salt pickle. The villagers treated this as a gift from the gods and began keeping it as a preserved food.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Add a winter pickle such as hakusai-zuke or takuan to the table
- Look up the pickles particular to your own region
- Try an easy home pickle such as a quick asazuke
- Plan which pickles to stock for the New Year table
The Side Dish Takes the Lead
Tsukemono Day comes around every month. Winter is when Chinese cabbage and daikon turn sweet -- a good moment to rediscover the small dish that resets the palate between richer courses.