Japan’s 72 Micro Seasons

Leaning heavily on the Chinese almanac, Japan’s poetic year starts with risshun, the ‘birth of spring’ in early February and ends with daikan, or ‘greater cold’ in late January. With a level of precision far beyond anything we can imagine, the sub-seasons between are then divided into three micro-seasons, observing subtle shifts in the natural world with evocative names such as ‘fish emerge from the ice’, ‘wild geese return’ and ‘mist starts to linger’. Encouraging a close observation of the passing months, each ko lasts approximately five days, serving as a poetic, mindful journey through Japan’s ever-changing landscape.

For a full list of Japan’s 72 seasons, click here.

Photo by Akira Deng on Unsplash