2024-02-03 20:00:00
2024/02/04 05:00 Weather News
The 24 solar terms begin with the “first day of spring.” This year, after Setsubun on Saturday, February 3rd, we will enter the first day of spring on Sunday, February 4th.
Although the cold days continue, it has become a day called “spring” on the calendar. What kind of season is the first day of spring?
“East wind” where you can feel spring little by little
The wind that blows from the east in early spring to bring in spring is called the east wind.
East wind is pronounced as “kochi” or “higashikaze.” When pronounced as “Kochi”, “chi” means wind.
~When the east wind blows, let’s wake up the plum blossoms.Without a master, we forget spring (or “don’t forget spring”)~
This is a poem by Michizane Sugawara, an aristocrat and scholar from the early Heian period. It is said that when he was demoted to Dazaifu, he wrote a poem to the plum blossoms in his mansion to express his regrets.
The east wind can blow coldly, like it stings you, or it can be weak and soft. It’s a breeze that makes you feel spring little by little.
“Haru Ichiban” has a sad history
“Haru Ichiban” (also called “Haruichi”) is also a wind that heralds the arrival of spring.
Spring is the first strong southerly wind that blows between the first day of spring and the vernal equinox (March 21st this year). One of the characteristics of spring is that the temperature rises so much that the wind feels lukewarm.
Haru Ichiban is a word originally used by fishermen. Contrary to the cheerful sound of the word “first spring”, it is also a dangerous wind that can cause severe turbulence at sea and lead to marine accidents.
In fact, in 1859, at the end of the Edo period, 53 fishermen from what is now Gonoura-cho, Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, lost their lives while out fishing.
Although the wind is a welcome sign that spring has arrived, it is also important to keep in mind the sad history of spring.
“Harutsuge-dori” will tell you about spring!?
“Spring Announcement Bird” literally means a bird that heralds the arrival of spring, and is another name for the warbler.
“Ho-ho-ke-kyo” is the call a male makes when inviting a female or declaring territory.
During the Edo period, it was known as the “Law, the Lotus Sutra,” and was given the nickname “Kyoyo Midori.”
Hatsune is the first sound of a bird or insect of the year. The first sounds of the Japanese warbler can be said to be a message announcing the arrival of spring.
In addition to birds, there are also fish, plants, and other things that herald spring. For example, “Harutsugeuo” refers to herring (or rockfish in some regions), and “Harutsugegusa” refers to plums.
If you listen closely and pay close attention, the living things around you will tell you that spring is coming.
(*The bird in the first image is a “white-eye.”)
The “thaw” that children in northern countries look forward to
In spring, the accumulated snow begins to melt, which is called “snow thaw”. “Yukige” is sometimes read as “Yukige” in addition to “Yukidoke”. It is also written as “Yukisuke”.
The thaw of the snow is something that people, especially those in northern countries, look forward to.
In reality, the snow in northern countries often melts much later than the first day of spring, but you may still see signs of it in the mud under the sunlight.
When you think of thaw, some people may remember the following phrase.
～Kana, the biggest child in the village when the snow melts～
This is a haiku by Issa Kobayashi, a haiku poet from the late Edo period. You can almost hear the energetic voices of the children.
Even though it’s the first day of spring, the days are still cold. However, there are also days when I can feel that the days are getting longer. Authentic spring is approaching.
One of the characteristics of the first season of spring is that you can feel the signs of spring even in the cold.
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Supervision
Keiko Yamashita: Writer. Books such as “24 Seasons and 72 Seasons’ Seasonal Notebook” (Seibidoshuppan) and “72 Seasons of Japanese Beauty” (PHP Institute) explore the beauty of the Japanese language and words from the Japanese calendar. There are many books written by him.
Reference materials etc.
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