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!
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.