June. The air grows heavy with moisture, and on nights like these, the scent of summer drifts in through the windows. I am overjoyed to welcome this long-awaited season. Early summer is also a particularly pleasant time for evening strolls. To enjoy the natural aromas at the dining table, I often leave the windows wide open, dining while feeling the breeze.

As I feel and enjoy the seasons like this, I can't help but be grateful for Japan's four distinct seasons.
Japanese cuisine offers many ingenious ways to convey the scents of the season, such as a sliver of yuzu peel floating in clear soup, or a pinch of sansho bud in dressed vegetables. In the summer, when appetites tend to wane, somen noodles with flavorful condiments or chilled tofu are particularly delicious, and summer vegetables like eggplant and cucumber, which help cool the body, are abundant.
Perhaps the seasonal produce of Japan is perfectly suited to our bodies as we live here.

Throughout this year-long series, I've been prompted to think about food each month, an entirely new experience for me as I wasn't particularly interested in food to begin with. However, as the series progressed, I found my interest growing, leading me to ponder what truly matters to me. This, in turn, led me to the realization that 'food that suits the season and the land is important.'

Today in Japan, we can enjoy cuisines from almost every country in the world, whether at restaurants or by cooking the ingredients ourselves. I love ethnic and Italian food too, but I enjoy them as special occasions. For my daily meals, I've come to eat seasonal Japanese ingredients. They suit my body better and are easier to continue without strain. While I still have long-ingrained preferences, like 'bread for breakfast,' I want to enjoy Japanese dining without being too rigid.

Do you think of your three meals a day as 'three meals to have' or 'only three meals to have'? I prefer to think of it as 'only three meals to have' and cherish each one. Rather than 'supplement meals' like cookies that offer quick nutrition, I want to eat simple, carefully chosen meals in the best possible atmosphere. A good atmosphere can be easily created by playing music or arranging my favorite tableware.