This is a list of

kigo is a word or phrase associated with a particular season, used in traditional forms of Japanese poetry. Kigo are used in the collaborative linked-verse forms renga and renku, as well as in haiku, to indicate the season referred to in the stan ...

, which are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season in

Japanese poetry Japanese poetry is poetry typical of Japan, or written, spoken, or chanted in the Japanese language, which includes Old Japanese, Early Middle Japanese, Late Middle Japanese, and Modern Japanese, as well as poetry in Japan which was written in t ...

. They provide an economy of expression that is especially valuable in the very short

haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or se ...

, as well as the longer linked-verse forms

renku , or , is a Japanese form of popular collaborative linked verse poetry. It is a development of the older Japanese poetic tradition of ''ushin'' renga, or orthodox collaborative linked verse. At renku gatherings participating poets take turns provi ...

and

renga ''Renga'' (, ''linked verse'') is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry in which alternating stanzas, or ''ku (''句), of 5-7-5 and 7-7 mora (sound units, not to be confused with syllables) per line are linked in succession by multiple poets. ...

, to indicate the season referenced in the poem or

stanza In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian language, Italian ''stanza'' , "room") is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or Indentation (typesetting), indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme scheme, rhyme and ...

Japanese seasons

Until 1873, in the

Japanese calendar Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the current Emperor. The written form starts with t ...

, seasons traditionally followed the

lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, combining lunar calendars and solar calendars. The date of Lunisolar calendars therefore indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the Sun in the Ea ...

with the

solstice A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countr ...

s and

equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and se ...

es at the middle of a season. The traditional and contemporary months are approximately one month apart from each other, with the traditional New Year falling between late January and early February. The traditional Japanese seasons are: :Spring: 4 February – 5 May :Summer: 6 May – 7 August :Autumn: 8 August – 6 November :Winter: 7 November – 3 February For kigo, each season is then divided into early (初), mid- (仲), and late (晩) periods. For spring, these would be: :Early spring: 4 February – 5 March (February・First lunar month) :Mid-spring: 6 March – 4 April (March・Second lunar month) :Late spring: 5 April – 5 May (April・Third lunar month)

Saijiki and kiyose

Japanese haiku poets often use a ''

saijiki A is a list of ''kigo'' (seasonal terms) used in haiku and related forms of poetry. An entry in a saijiki usually includes a description of the kigo itself, as well as a list of similar or related words, and some examples of haiku that include th ...

'', a book like a

dictionary A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies ...

almanac An almanac (also spelled ''almanack'' and ''almanach'') is an annual publication listing a set of current information about one or multiple subjects. It includes information like weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, tide tables, and other ...

for ''kigo''. An entry in a ''saijiki'' usually includes a description of the kigo itself, as well as a list of similar or related words, and a few examples of haiku that include that kigo. A kiyose is similar, but contains only lists of kigo. Modern saijiki and kiyose are divided into the four seasons and New Year, with some containing a further section for seasonless (''muki'') topics. Each section is divided into a standard set of categories, each containing the relevant kigo. The most common categories are: * The season (時候 ''jikō'') * The sky and heavens (天文 ''tenmon'') * The earth (地理 ''chiri'') * Humanity (生活 ''seikatsu'') * Observances (行事 ''gyōji'') * Animals (動物 ''dōbutsu'') * Plants (植物 ''shokubutsu'') This is a list of both Japanese and non-Japanese kigo. If the kigo is a Japanese word, or if there is a Japanese translation in parentheses next to the English kigo, then the kigo can be found in most major Japanese ''saijiki''. [note: An asterisk (*) after the Japanese name for the kigo denotes an external link to a saijiki entry for the kigo with example haiku that is part of the "Japanese haiku: a topical dictionary" website.]

Spring: 4 February – 5 May

The season

all spring

* ''spring'' (春 ''haru'') * ''Temperature, warmth'' (暖かし ''atatakashi'' or 温み ''nukumi'')

early spring (February・First lunar month)

* '' '' (睦月 lit. "month of affection") – First lunar month (present-day January) * ''February'' (二月 ''nigatsu'') – when using the solar calendar * '' first day of spring'' (立春 ''risshun'') – First solar term; approx. 4 February * '' usui'' (雨水 lit. "rain water") – Second solar term; approx. 19 February * ''signs of spring'' (春めく ''haru meku'') * ''shunkan'' (春寒) – cold weather in early spring

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

* '' Kisaragi'' (如月 lit. "like the moon" or 衣更着 lit. "wearing more clothes") – Second lunar month (present-day February) * ''March'' (三月 ''sangatsu'') – when using the solar calendar * '' keichitsu'' (啓蟄) – Third solar term; approx 6 March. Lierally tra "awakening hibernating insects", when insects come out of the ground, believed to occur on the first day of the lunar month. * ''

shunbun The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. ''Chūnfēn'', ''Shunbun'', ''Chunbun'', or ''Xuân phân'' is the 4th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 0° and ends when it reaches the l ...

'' (春分) – Fourth solar term; approx. 20 March. Vernal equinox * ''

higan is a Buddhist holiday exclusively celebrated by Japanese sects for seven days; three days before and after both the Spring equinox (shunbun) and Autumnal equinox (shūbun). It is observed by nearly every Buddhist school in Japan. The tradi ...

'' (彼岸 ''higan'')

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

* ''

Yayoi The started at the beginning of the Neolithic in Japan, continued through the Bronze Age, and towards its end crossed into the Iron Age. Since the 1980s, scholars have argued that a period previously classified as a transition from the Jōmon p ...

'' (弥生 lit. "increasing life") – Third lunar month (present-day March) * ''April'' (四月 ''shigatsu'') – when using the solar calendar * '' seimei'' (清明 lit. "clear and bright") – Fifth solar term; approx. 5 April * '' kokū'' (穀雨 lit. "grain rain) – Sixth solar term; approx. 20 April * ''hanabie'' (花冷え lit "flowers becoming cold") – chilly spring weather * ''fading of spring'' (行く春 ''Yuku haru'')

The sky and heavens

all spring

* ''spring

mist Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the cold air, usually by condensation. Physically, it is an example of a dispersion. It is most commonly seen where water vapor in warm, moist air meets sudden cooling, such a ...

'' or ''

haze Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon in which dust, smoke, and other dry particulates suspended in air obscure visibility and the clarity of the sky. The World Meteorological Organization manual of codes includes a classification ...

'' (霞 ''kasumi'') * ''hazy moon'' (朧月 ''oborozuki'') – 朧 ''oboro'' is a type of mist that obscures the moon;

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

composed of radicals for "moon" (月) and "dragon" (龍) * ''awayuki'' (淡雪) – light snowfall * ''shunjin'' (春塵) – frost and snow blown into the air by the spring wind

early spring (February・First lunar month)

* ''kaiyose'' (貝寄風 lit. "shell-gathering wind") – west wind that blows seashells ashore; traditionally believed to occur on the night of the vernal equinox

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

* ''haruichiban'' (春一番) – the first strong southerly wind of the spring

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

* ''wasurejimo'' (忘れ霜 lit. "forgotten frost") – late frost

The earth

all spring

* ''shunchō'' (春潮) – pleasant tides of spring * ''yamawarau'' ( 山笑う lit. "laughing mountain") – a mountain covered in flower buds * ''haru no umi'' (春の海) – calm sea of spring

early spring (February・First lunar month)

* ''usugōri'' or ''hakuhyō'' (薄氷) – thin ice

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

* ''mizu nurumu'' (水温む) – warming of water (in spring) * ''yukima'' (雪間) – patch of ground without snow

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

* ''naeshiro'' or ''nawashiro'' (苗代) –

seedbed A seedbed or seedling bed is the local soil environment in which seeds are planted. Often it comprises not only the soil but also a specially prepared cold frame, hotbed or raised bed used to grow the seedlings in a controlled environment into l ...

Humanity

* Spring depression (春愁 ''shunshū'') – all spring *

Sowing Sowing is the process of planting seeds. An area or object that has had seeds planted in it will be described as a sowed or sown area. Plants which are usually sown Among the major field crops, oats, wheat, and rye are sown, grasses and leg ...

(種蒔 ''tanemaki'')

Observances

* ''Hanamatsuri'' (花祭り "Blossom Festival"),

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

festival celebrating the birth of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

, on 8 April. * ''

Hinamatsuri , also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a religious (Shinto) holiday in Japan, celebrated on 3March of each year. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)"Hina Matsuri"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 313. Platforms covered with a red carpet–mater ...

'' (雛祭 "Girl's Day", lit. "Doll Festival") – a traditional Japanese festival for girls on 3 March.

Animals

* frogs (蛙 ''kawazu'') – all spring – noted for their loud singing *

skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...

s (雲雀 ''hibari'') – all spring – noted for their songs in flight *

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

s (燕 ''tsubame'') – mid-spring * twittering (囀り ''saezuri'') – all spring – the chirping of songbirds * ''

Japanese bush warbler The Japanese bush warbler (''Horornis diphone''), known in Japanese as ''uguisu'' (鶯), is an Asian passerine bird more often heard than seen. Its distinctive breeding song can be heard throughout much of Japan from the start of spring. Descri ...

'' (鶯 ''uguisu'' (sometimes translated as Japanese

nightingale The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is no ...

), ''Cettia diphone'') – early spring – the bird is used as an example of sweet sounds. Uguisu were mentioned in the preface to the ''

Kokin Wakashū The , commonly abbreviated as , is an early anthology of the ''waka'' form of Japanese poetry, dating from the Heian period. An imperial anthology, it was conceived by Emperor Uda () and published by order of his son Emperor Daigo () in about ...

''. It is often associated with

ume ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...

blossoms and new growth in early Japanese

waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...

and is regarded as a harbinger of spring (春告鳥 ''harutsugedori'', lit. "bird which announces the arrival of Spring").
'

Plants

* ''

plum blossom ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...

'' (梅 ''ume'') – early spring * ''

cherry blossoms A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generall ...

'' (桜 ''sakura'') and cherry blossom-viewing (花見 ''

hanami is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; in this case almost always refer to those of the or, less frequently, trees. From the end of March to early May, cherry trees bloom all over Japan, and around ...

'') – late spring (April) – for the Japanese, cherry blossoms are such a common topic that in just mentioning blossoms (''hana'') in haiku it is assumed they are cherry blossoms.

Hanami is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; in this case almost always refer to those of the or, less frequently, trees. From the end of March to early May, cherry trees bloom all over Japan, and around ...

is an occasion for partying with friends or coworkers. *''

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

'' (柳 ''yanagi'') – mid-spring

Summer: 6 May – 7 August

The season

* ''

dog days The dog days or are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sud ...

'' * ''

midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer usually held at a date around the summer solstice. It has pagan pre-Christian roots in Europe. The undivided Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian mart ...

'' (夏至祭 ''geshimatsuri'') * ''summer'' (夏 ''natsu''); other combinations are to become like summer (夏めく ''natsu meku''), end of summer (夏の果て ''natsu no hate''). summer holidays (夏休み ''natsu yasumi'') primarily refers to the school holiday. *May (皐月 ''satsuki'' or 五月 ''gogatsu''), June (水無月 ''minazuki'' or 六月 ''rokugatsu''), July (文月 ''fumizuki'', ''fuzuki'' or 七月 ''shichigatsu'') *hot (暑し ''atsushi''), hotness (暑さ ''atsusa'') and hot day (暑き日 ''atsuki hi''); also, anything related to the heat, including sweat (汗 ''ase'') and in contemporary haiku, air conditioning (冷房 ''reibō'')

The sky and heavens

* ''

rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

'' (虹 ''niji'') * ''

Rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...

'' (梅雨 ''tsuyu'') – the Japanese rainy season, usually starting in mid-June * ''

sea of clouds A sea of clouds is an overcast layer of clouds, as viewed from above, with a relatively uniform top which shows undulations of very different lengths resembling waves on the sea. A sea of fog is formed from stratus clouds or fog and does not ...

'' (雲海 ''unkai'') – late summer * kiu (喜雨) – late summer – lit. "pleasure rain"; rain that falls after hot and dry weather * ''

south wind A south wind is a wind that originates in the south and blows in a northward direction. Words used in English to describe the south wind are auster, buster (a violent south gale), föhn/foehn (alps), ghibli (Libya with various spellings), friage ...

'' (南風 ''minami'')

The earth

*''shitatari'' (滴り) – "dripping", referring to water trickling off rocks, moss, etc. *

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

(滝 ''taki'') Hiroshima-pref-prom-hall-04

Humanity

* ''

nap A nap is a short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to drowsiness during waking hours. A nap is a form of biphasic or polyphasic sl ...

'' or ''

siesta A ''siesta'' (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The ...

'' (昼寝 ''hirune'') * ''nudity'' (裸 ''hadaka'') * summer sports: ''

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

'', ''

beach volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two or more players on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the ...

'', ''

rollerblading Inline skating is a multi-disciplinary sport and can refer to a number of activities practiced using inline skates. Inline skates typically have two to five polyurethane wheels depending on the style of practice, arranged in a single line by a ...

'' and ''

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...

'' * ''

sushi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is " ...

'' (寿司, 鮓, 鮨) *''

jinbei A (alternately or ) is a traditional set of Japanese clothing worn by men, women and children during summer. Consisting of a side-tying, tube-sleeved kimono-style top and a pair of trousers, were originally menswear only, though in recent ...

'' (甚平) – traditional informal summer clothes *''swimming pool'' (プール ''pūru'')

Observances

*'' A-Bomb Anniversary'' (6 August) (原爆忌 ''genbakuki'') – Either summer or autumn due to the proximinity between traditional and modern calendars * ''

Tango no sekku , also known as , is one of the five annual ceremonies that were traditionally held at the Japanese imperial court called . It is the Japanese equivalent of Double Fifth and was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the lunar calendar ...

'' (端午の節句) – traditional festival for boys on 5 May (See ''Hinamatsuri'' in spring for the girls' festival). * ''Festival'' (祭 ''matsuri'') is applied to summer festivals of

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

for purification. Traditionally, it referred to the festival of Kamo Shrine in Kyoto, however as kigo it can be applied to all local Shinto festivals.

Animals

* ''

cicada The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...

'' (蝉 ''semi'') – late summer – known for their cries * ''

lesser cuckoo The lesser cuckoo (''Cuculus poliocephalus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malawi, Mya ...

'' (時鳥 ''hototogisu'') – all summer – a bird in the

cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...

family noted for its song * ''jellyfish'' (海月 ''kurage'', lit. "sea moon") * ''

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

'' (蚊 ''ka'') * ''snake'' (蛇 ''hebi'')

Plants

* ''

lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

'' (百合 ''yuri'') * ''

lotus flower ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often ref ...

'' (蓮 ''hasu'' or ''hachisu'') * '' orange blossoms'' (蜜柑 ''mikan'') * ''

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...

'' (向日葵 ''himawari'') * ''

wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), that includes ten species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north o ...

'' (藤 ''fuji'') * ''

tachibana orange The tachibana orange (''Citrus tachibana,'' or ''Citrus reticulata tachibana'') is a variety of mandarin orange, a citrus fruit. They grow wild in the forests of Japan and are referred to in the poetry of the early Japanese and Ryukyu Islands ki ...

'' (橘 ''tachibana'') * ''

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

'' (菖蒲 ''ayame'', ''shōbu'' or ''sōbu'') – early summer (May) * '' water lily'' (睡蓮 ''suiren'') – mid and late summer.

Autumn: 8 August – 6 November

The season

* ''autumn'' (秋 ''aki''); other combinations are ''autumn has come'' (秋来ぬ ''aki kinu''), ''autumn is ending'' (秋果つ ''aki hatsu''), ''autumn being gone'' (行く秋 ''yuku aki''). * ''August'' (葉月 ''hazuki'' or 八月 ''hachigatsu''), ''September'' (長月 ''nagatsuki'' or 九月 ''kugatsu'') and ''October'' (神無月 ''

kannazuki Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the current Emperor. The written form starts with t ...

'' or 十月 ''jūgatsu'') * ''end of September'' (九月尽 ''kugatsujin''), end of autumn (秋の果て ''aki no hate'').

The sky and heavens

* ''

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...

'' (天の川 ''amanogawa'', lit. "river of heaven") – most visible in Japan in autumn. It is also associated with ''

Tanabata , also known as the Star Festival ( 星祭り, ''Hoshimatsuri''), is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair res ...

'' (七夕). * ''

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

'' (月 ''tsuki'') – all autumn * ''

Tsukimi or , meaning, "''moon-viewing"'', are Japanese festivals honoring the autumn moon, a variant of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The celebration of the full moon typically takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Japanese cal ...

'' (月見 lit. "moon-viewing") – mid-autumn (September) – the word "moon" by itself is assumed to be a

full moon The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...

in autumn. Moon-viewing * ''

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

'' (台風 ''taifū'' or 野分 ''nowaki'')

The earth

* ''Field of flowers'' (花野 ''hanano'') * ''

Shiranui is an atmospheric ghost lights, atmospheric ghost light told about in Kyushu. They are said to appear on days of the noon moon such the (29th or 30th day) of the seventh month of the lunisolar Japanese calendar when the wind is weak, in the ...

'' (不知火) * ''Harvested rice fields'' (刈田 ''karita'')

Humanity

* ''

scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...

'' (案山子 ''kakashi''　or 鳥威し ''toriodoshi'') * ''rice harvest'' (稲刈 ''inekari'') * ''

Imoni is a type of taro and meat soup eaten traditionally in the autumn in the Tōhoku region of Japan. Yamagata Prefecture in particular is famous for its imoni, but other prefectures in the region also have their own different varieties. Imoni is ...

kai'' (芋煮会) * ''

leaf peeping __NOTOC__ Leaf peeping is an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colors in autumn, particularly in northern New England, Appalac ...

'' (紅葉狩 ''momijigari'') – a common group activity

Observances

* ''

'' (七夕) (the festival of the weaver maiden and the herdsman in the Heavenly Court) * ''grave-visiting'' (墓参 ''haka mairi'' or ''bosan'') * ''

Bon Festival or just is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist–Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people retu ...

'' (盆 ''bon'') * ''mukaebi'' (迎火) –

bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Etymology The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...

s welcoming the ancestorsand * ''

bon odori or just is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist–Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people retu ...

'' (盆踊). The traditional date of

is 7th day of the 7th month of the

, which falls in early Autumn. The modern use of the Gregorian one has moved the observance to 7 July, which has resulted in a dispute as to whether Tanabata should be treated as a summer kigo.

Animals

* ''insects'' (虫 ''mushi''), mainly it implies singing one. * ''

crickets Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 8 ...

'' (蟋蟀 ''kōrogi'') – all autumn (August–October) – noted for the singing of the males. * '' bell cricket'' (鈴虫 ''suzumushi'') * '' walker's cicada'' (法師蝉 ''hōshizemi'' lit. "Buddhist priest cicada") * ''

Deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

'' (鹿 ''shika'')

Plants

* ''

nashi pear ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, pa ...

'' (梨 ''nashi'') * ''

Chaenomeles ''Chaenomeles'' is a genus of four species https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331479-2 of deciduous spiny shrubs, usually 1–3 m tall, in the family Rosaceae. They are native to Southeast Asia. These plants are rela ...

'' (木瓜の実 ''boke no mi'') * ''

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

'' (桃 ''momo'') * ''

persimmon The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus ''Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Oriental persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki'' ''Diospyros'' is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-pers ...

'' (柿 ''kaki'') * ''apples'' (林檎 ''ringo'') * ''grapes'' (葡萄 ''budō'') * '' colored leaves'' (椛''momiji'' or 紅葉 ''kōyō'') – late autumn (October) – a very common topic for haiku * ''first colored leaves'' (初紅葉 ''hatsu-momiji'' or ''hatsu-momijiba'') – mid-autumn * ''shining leaves'' (照葉 ''teriha'') – late autumn * ''leaves turning color'' (薄紅葉 ''usumomiji'') – mid-autumn * ''leaves start to fall'' (紅葉かつ散る ''momiji katsu chiru'') – late autumn

Winter: 7 November – 3 February

The season

* ''winter'' (冬 ''fuyu''), using "winter" in a haiku adds a sense of chilliness (literally and figuratively), bleakness, and seclusion to the poem. * ''November'' (霜月 ''shimotsuki'' or 十一月 ''jūichigatsu''), ''December'' (師走 ''shiwasu'' or 十二月 ''jūnigatsu'') and ''January'' (睦月''mutsuki'' or 一月 ''ichigatsu'') * ''cold'' (寒し ''samushi'') and ''coldness'' (寒さ ''samusa'')

The sky and heavens

* ''snow'' (雪 ''yuki'') * ''

Indian summer An Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Several sources describe a true Indian summer as not occurring until after the first frost, or more s ...

'' (小春日和 ''koharubiyori'' lit. "small spring weather") – a period of unseasonable warmth, usually in late autumn to early winter * ''frost-covered trees'' (樹氷 ''juhyō'') * '' north wind'' (北風 ''kitakaze'' or ''hokufū'') – indicating the coming of cold weather * ''shigure'' (時雨) – rain in late autumn or early winter

The earth

* ''yama-nemuru'' (山眠る) – lit. "sleeping mountain", evoking a sense of stillness in the mountains * ''

kitsunebi Kitsunebi (狐火) is an atmospheric ghost light told about in legends all across Japan outside Okinawa Prefecture.村上健司編著『妖怪事典』毎日新聞社、2000年、134頁。。 They are also called "hitobosu", "hitomoshi" (火� ...

'' (狐火 lit. "fox fire") – a type of atmospheric ghost light mostly associated with winter * ''winter landscape'' (冬景色 ''fuyugeshiki'') – Evokes the sense of a "winter wonderland"

Humanity

* ''snow-viewing'' (雪見 ''yukimi'') – late winter (January) – a popular group activity in Japan. * ''

fugu The fugu (; ; ) in Japanese, ''bogeo'' (; 鰒魚) or ''bok'' () in Korean, and ''hétún'' (河豚; 河魨) in Standard Modern Chinese is a pufferfish, normally of the genus ''Takifugu'', ''Lagocephalus'', or ''Sphoeroides'', or a porcupinefish ...

soup'' (河豚汁 ''fugujiru'') * ''

Anglerfish The anglerfish are fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes (). They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified luminescent fin ray (the esca or illicium) acts as a lure for other fish. The luminescence ...

hotpot'' (鮟鱇鍋 ''ankō nabe'') * ''

calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...

vendor'' (暦売 ''koyomiuri'') – preparation for the new year. * ''

asazuke (literally: ''shallow pickle'') is a Japanese pickling method characterized by its short preparation time. The name implies a food pickled in the morning and ready by the evening. The word ''asazuke'' can also refer to the items pickled in this ...

'' (浅漬) – lightly pickled vegetables * ''breath vapor'' (息白し ''ikishiroshi'')

Observances

* ''Christmas''　(クリスマス ''kurisumasu'' or 降誕祭 ''kōtansai'') – this is a modern kigo and uncommon in the Edo period. * ''New Year's Eve'' (大晦日 ''

ōmisoka —or —is a Japanese traditional celebration on the last day of the year. Traditionally, it was held on the final day of the 12th lunar month. With Japan's switch to using the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, December 31 ( ...

'' 年の夜 ''toshi no yo'' or 除夜 ''joya''), and the ''New Year's Eve party'' (年忘 ''toshiwasure'') * ''Kan'' (寒 ''kan'' lit. "coldness") – days from 5–6 January until 4–5 February, originating from the Chinese 24 seasonal periods. Also ''

daikan ''Daikan'' (代官) was an official in Japan that acted on behalf of a ruling monarch or a lord at the post they had been appointed to. Since the Middle Ages, ''daikan'' were in charge of their territory and territorial tax collection. In the Edo ...

'' (lit. "great coldness") a period that begins around 20 January.

Animals

* '' crane'' (鶴 ''tsuru'') * ''

swan Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...

'' (白鳥 ''hakuchō'') * ''

badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united b ...

'' (あなぐま ''anaguma'') * ''rabbit'' (兎 ''usagi'') * ''

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

'' (狼 ''ōkami'') * ''

hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...

'' (冬眠 ''tōmin'') * ''

whale watching Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins ( cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. 2 ...

'' (鯨見 ''kujirami'') – the number of whales off the coast peak at different times of the year depending on the region. In Japan, whales are most often seen during the winter. * ''

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...

'' (牡蠣 ''kaki'') * ''waterfowl sleeping on water'' (浮寝鳥 ''ukinedori'')

Plants

* ''winter chrysanthemum'' (冬菊 ''fuyugiku'' or 寒菊 ''kangiku'') * ''

daffodil ''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as '' Sternbergia'', ''Is ...

'' (水仙 ''suisen'' lit. "water

immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...

") * ''

ornamental kale Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

'' (葉牡丹 ''habotan'') * '' false holly'' (柊 ''hiragi'' or ''hīragi'') * ''fallen leaves'' (落葉 ''ochiba'') * ''dry leaves'' (枯葉 ''kareha'')

New Year

As in many other cultures, the Japanese New Year is an important time of year for celebrations and there are many activities associated with it that may be mentioned in haiku. Before Japan began using the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

in 1873, the

Japanese New Year The is an annual festival with its own customs. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . However, some traditional events of the Japanese New Year are par ...

was at the beginning of spring. Many of these terms reflect the traditional calendar system.

The season

* ''

'' (正月 ''shōgatsu''
*
* ''New Year'' (新年 ''shinnen'') * ''New Year's Day'' (元日 ''ganjitsu'' or ''gannichi'') * ''New Year's Day'' (元旦 ''gantan'') – refers to the dawn or morning of New Year's Day * ''Old Year'' (旧年 ''kyūnen'' or ''furutoshi'') * '' Little New Year'' (小正月 ''koshōgatsu'') – traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the month during the full moon * ''Women's New Year'' (女正月 ''onnashōgatsu'') – same as above, referring to women who were too busy to celebrate the actual new year, especially in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

and

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

regions.

The sky and heavens

* ''First Day'' (初日 ''hatsuhi'') * ''First Sky'' (初空 ''hatsusora'' or ''hatsuzora'') – the sky on New Year's morning * ''first laughter'' ( ''hatsuwarai'' or ''waraizome'') – indicating good fortune *Each day of first week of the new year is treated as kigo, such as the seventh day of the new year (七日 ''nanoka'', lit. "the seventh day").

Humanity

* ''

kadomatsu are traditional Japanese decorations made for the New Year's. They are a type of ''yorishiro'', or objects intended to welcome ancestral spirits or ''kami'' of the harvest. ''Kadomatsu'' are usually placed in pairs in front of homes and build ...

'
*
(門松) – a traditional decoration usually made of pine and bamboo that is placed on the gate or outer doorway * ''toshidama'' ( 年玉) – the custom of giving pocket money to children * ''

toso , or ''o-toso'', is spiced medicinal sake traditionally drunk during Japanese New Year celebrations. Culture Toso is drunk to flush away the previous year's maladies and to aspire to lead a long life. For generations it has been said that "if ...

'' (屠蘇) – a ritual mulled

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

only drunk on New Year's Day * ''

osechi Osechi-ryōri (御節料理, お節料理 or おせち) are traditional Japanese New Year foods. The tradition started in the Heian period (794–1185). ''Osechi'' are easily recognizable by their special boxes called '' jūbako'' (重箱), whi ...

'' (御節) – traditional Japanese New Year's Day food * ''

zōni , often with the honorific "o-" as ''o-zōni'', is a Japanese soup containing ''mochi'' rice cakes. The dish is strongly associated with the Japanese New Year and its tradition of ''osechi'' ceremonial foods. The preparation of zōni varies bo ...

'' (雑煮
*
– a traditional vegetable broth with

mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally ma ...

Festival of Seven Herbs The Festival of Seven Herbs or ''Nanakusa no sekku'' ( ja, ) is the long-standing Japanese custom of eating seven-herb rice porridge (七草粥, ''nanakusa-gayu'', lit. "7 Herbs Rice-Congee") on January 7 ('' Jinjitsu''); one of the ''Gosekk ...

(七草の節句 ''Nanakusa no sekku'') – a festival centered around eating ''seven-herb congee'' ( 七草粥 ''nanakusagayu'') * ''first writing'' (書初 '' kakizome'') – the first calligraphy written around the New Year

Observances

* ''

Namahage The are demonlike beings portrayed by men wearing hefty '' oni'' (ogre) masks and traditional straw capes ('' mino'') during a New Year's ritual, in local northern Japanese folklore of the Oga Peninsula area of Akita Prefecture. General descri ...

'' (生剥) – a ritualized folktale in

Akita Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is approximately 966,000 (as of 1 October 2019) and its ge ...

* ''

Hatsumōde is the first Buddhist temples in Japan, Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year. Many visit on the first, second, or third day of the year as most are off work on those days. Generally, wishes for the new year are made, n ...

'' (初詣) – the first visit of the year to a

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

* ''New Year's Sumo Tournament'' (初場所 ''hatsubasho'') * '' First Poetry Reading'' (歌会始 ''utakai-hajime'') * ''Ehōmairi'' ( 恵方詣) – visit to a shrine or temple that lies in an Feng shui, auspicious direction

Animals

* ''yomegakimi'' (嫁が君) – a euphemism for mouse, used for the first three days of the New Year * ''first sparrow'' (初雀 ''hatsu-suzume''
*
– the first sparrow helps welcome the New Year * ''first sound'' (初声 ''hatsukoe'') – the first cry of an animal in the New Year * ''first cockcrow'' (初鶏 ''hatsutori'') * ''Japanese spiny lobster'' (伊勢海老 ''ise-ebi'')

Plants

* ''young greens'' {若菜 ''wakana'') * ''Daphniphyllum macropodum, false daphne'' (楪 ''yuzuriha'') – used in decoration * '' henbit'' (仏の座 ''hotoke-no-za'' lit. "Buddha's seat") – one of the seven spring flowers (春の七草 ''haru-no-nanakusa'')

Sources

* 『入門歳時記』大野林火監修、俳句文学館編。角川書店、. itle:_"Introductory_Saijiki",_editor:_"Ōno_Rinka",_Publisher:_Kadokawa_Shoten_.html" ;"title="Kadokawa_Shoten.html" ;"title="itle: "Introductory Saijiki", editor: "Ōno Rinka", Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten">itle: "Introductory Saijiki", editor: "Ōno Rinka", Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten ">Kadokawa_Shoten.html" ;"title="itle: "Introductory Saijiki", editor: "Ōno Rinka", Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten">itle: "Introductory Saijiki", editor: "Ōno Rinka", Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten * ''Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac'' by William J. Higginson, Kodansha International 1996 (An international haiku saijiki with over 1,000 haiku and senryu from poets in 50 countries covering 680 seasonal topics) * ''The Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World'' by William J. Higginson, Kodansha International © 1996 (a companion book to ''Haiku World'' discussing the development of haiku, and the importance of the seasons and kigo to haiku) *

External links

The five hundred essential Japanese season words
Selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto and translated by William J. Higginson and Kris Young Kondo

by William J. Higginson
Japanese Haiku – a Topical Dictionary
at th
Univ. of Virginia Japanese Text Initiative
a work-in-progress based on the Nyu-mon Saijiki by the Museum of Haiku Literature in Tokyo, most translations by William J. Higginson and Lewis Cook
The Yuki Teikei Haiku Season Word List
from th
Yuki Teikei Haiku Society
(Northern California)
World Kigo Database
Gabi Greve's project supported by the World Haiku Club

by Jane Reichhold * ttp://www.kyoshi.or.jp/12month/12month-1.htm Haiku in Twelve Monthsat th
Kiyoshi Memorial Museum
(

Takahama Kyoshi was a Japanese poet active during the Shōwa period of Japan. His real name was ; Kyoshi was a pen name given to him by his mentor, Masaoka Shiki. Early life Kyoshi was born in what is now the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture; his father, Ik ...

) * Season words from the Shiki mailing list kukai
Spring season words

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kigo Poetic devices Japanese culture-related lists Literature lists *

Japanese seasons

Saijiki and kiyose

Spring: 4 February – 5 May

The season

all spring

early spring (February・First lunar month)

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

The sky and heavens

all spring

early spring (February・First lunar month)

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

The earth

all spring

early spring (February・First lunar month)

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

Summer: 6 May – 7 August

The season

The sky and heavens

The earth

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

Autumn: 8 August – 6 November

The season

The sky and heavens

The earth

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

Winter: 7 November – 3 February

The season

The sky and heavens

The earth

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

New Year

The season

The sky and heavens

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

See also

Helpful lists of species

Sources

External links