Today begins a new microseason! If this is your first time joining us, scroll down past the forecast to read about what exactly a microseason is. For the rest of you, let’s jump in!
The Current Solar Term: Usui
Today, Feb 19th, begins Usui (雨水), the 2nd solar term (節気, sekki), which means Rain Water.
As we enter into Usui, we can feel the cold starting to lessen. The snow and ice is melting and we are more likely to see rain than new snow fall. Haru-ichiban, the first spring wind, is starting to be felt more and more.
The main event of this solar term is Girl’s Day (or Doll Festival). The dolls for this event will be displayed all of this solar term until the festival day on March 3rd. I’ll give more info on that day when we come to it.
Usui lasts until March 5th.
The Current Microseason: Rains Moisten the Soil
Today, Feb 19th, begins 土脉潤起, the 4th microseason (候, kō) which is read Tsuchi no Shō Uruoi Okoru and means Rains Moisten the Soil. This is the second microseason of Usui, which is itself the second solar term of spring.
This microseason marks the turning point that I mentioned above. The snow and ice is finished; we are now transitioning into rain, and it is warm enough that all remains of winter should start melting around now. This rain and melting snow/ice are moistening the ground, preparing it for the next stages of spring. All hibernating creatures will soon start to stir.
Seasonal Event: Haru Ichiban
I mentioned this in one of the three previous microseasons, but let’s explore it in a little more detail.
This is a strong southerly wind that blows from the southeast. It is called haru ichiban (春一番, first spring wind). It is quite strong, blowing in speeds of eight m/s. It brings warm air, but later in the day the cold usually rushes back in.
All of Japan hangs their laundry outside to dry (laundry dryers are not at all common here), haru ichiban can cause some headaches for high-rise apartment dwellers—seeing clothes blowing from high balconies is not an uncommon sight. In the stores you can find gadgets to secure hangers and prevent them from blowing off.
There is a second (春二番, haru niban) and third wind (春三番, haru sanban), occasionally a fourth (春四番, haru yonban), but these are not commonly used.
In haiku, haru ichiban is a kigo (season word) for mid-spring. The other three winds can also be used as kigo for the same time.
Here is a haiku for this microseason:
harusame ya kasa sashite miru ezōshiya
from under an umbrella
browsing a picture-book store
—Shiki
Will move this info to another post one of these days, but for now, briefly:
- Each month has two seasons, called solar terms (節気, sekki), giving us a total of 24 seasons. This gives the system its name, the 24 Sekki (二十四節気). I usually refer to this entire system as The Japanese Almanac. It is more than a little similar to the American Farmer’s Almanac.
- Each of these 24 seasons is further subdivided three more times, giving us a grand total of 72 seasons, or microseasons (候, kō).
- Each microseason is about 5 days. With time periods so short, they can get pretty specific about what in nature we might expect to be happening around now.
- The system was originally from China, but it was reformatted during the Edo Era (1603–1868) to fit better with Japan’s climate. I find it also fits fairly well with much of the Midwest in the Eastern half of the US. But if you live in a different area, your milage may vary.
- The entire system is based on the equinoxes and solstices, so it is fluid and the exact dates will vary by a day or two from year to year. Luckily there are a great many Japanese sources that do the astrological computations for us and tell us exactly when each one starts and ends every year.
The next microseason starts on Feb 23rd. See you then for the next forecast!