Season, Joint
On the bottom of bamboo roots, there’s a stamp that tells you the season in which it was cut. Additionally, the stamp also has information on the condition of the bamboo’s joints, because no one wants to buy bamboo with damaged joints!
Picture yourself in a store, looking at a bunch of different bamboo stamps to make sure you don’t buy one that’s out of season, or one that has damaged joints. The season and the joints, that’s what quality bamboo is all about, and it’s why we have these stamps!
せつ
ふし
None
These season stamps are marked on bamboo sets (せつ). You can't buy a single banana or a single grape, and just like that, if you want some nice seasonal bamboo, you have to buy them in sets.
How many bamboo sets will you be buying this season? I'm getting 42 sets.