The 72 micro-seasons of Japan
The old Japanese calendar splits the year into 24 solar terms, then splits each of those into three, giving 72 micro-seasons of about five days each. Each one is named after a single thing happening in nature: swallows leaving, crickets singing at the door, the first frost. All 72 are here, in English and Japanese.
Right now: 雷乃収声 かみなりすなわちこえをおさむ — Thunder Falls Silent
Risshun marks the first day of spring on the old calendar. It is still cold, but from this day words like "early spring" start appearing in letters and shop windows.
Usui means "rainwater." Snow turns to rain and the ice starts to melt. Farmers have traditionally taken this as the sign to begin preparing their fields.
Keichitsu is when insects that spent the winter underground come back out. The two characters literally mean "opening" and "hibernating creatures."
On the spring equinox, day and night are close to equal length. It is a national holiday in Japan, and families visit their ancestors' graves during the week around it.
Seimei means "clear and bright." The air is clean, the new leaves are out, and everything looks freshly washed. In Okinawa, families gather at the graves for a picnic called shiimii.
Kokuu is the season of the soft rain that makes grain grow. Rice seedlings are raised now, and the last frost of the year is usually behind us.
Rikka is the first day of summer on the old calendar. The weather is still mild, and this is often the most comfortable time of year in Japan.
Shoman means "small fullness." Plants grow thick and the ears of barley start to fill out, so farmers could feel a small relief that the harvest was coming.
Boshu refers to grains with bristles, like rice and barley, and to the season for planting them. The rainy season usually begins around now.
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. Japan is usually deep in the rainy season, so the long daylight often goes unnoticed behind the clouds.
Shousho means "lesser heat." The rainy season ends and real summer heat begins. This is when people send summer greeting cards to friends and clients.
Taisho is the hottest stretch of the year. Summer festivals, fireworks and the custom of eating eel to survive the heat all fall in this period.
Risshu is the first day of autumn on the old calendar, even though it lands in the hottest part of summer. From this day, summer greeting cards change their wording to "late-summer greetings."
Shosho means the heat finally settles down. Mornings and evenings cool off first, and this is also the season when typhoons often reach Japan.
Hakuro means "white dew." Nights get cool enough that dew forms on the grass and catches the morning light. Autumn is now real, not just on the calendar.
On the autumn equinox, day and night are again close to equal. It is a national holiday, and the week around it is the autumn higan, when families visit graves.
Kanro is "cold dew": the dew on the grass now feels cold to the touch. The air dries out, the sky clears, and this is the best time of year for walking.
Soko means "frost falls." The first frost appears in the mountains and the autumn leaves turn in earnest. Kotatsu tables and heaters come out of storage.
Ritto is the first day of winter on the old calendar. The sun sets noticeably earlier, and preparations for the end of the year quietly begin.
Shosetsu means "small snow." Snow starts to fall in the mountains while the cities are still only cold. Winter illuminations begin around now.
Taisetsu is when snow really starts to pile up on the Japan Sea side of the country. Year-end parties and the rush to finish work before the holidays are in full swing.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. Japanese families take a hot bath with whole yuzu citrus floating in it and eat pumpkin, both said to keep colds away.
Shokan is the start of kan, the coldest thirty days of the year. New Year decorations come down and daily life returns to normal.
Daikan is the coldest stretch of the year. Sake, miso and soy sauce have traditionally been brewed now, because the cold keeps unwanted bacteria down.