Autumn is coming. We can feel it in the morning and evening. It is still really hot at midday, but the hints of the seasonal change are in the air. I suppose there are different insects that make themselves heard and enjoy the autumn, but the summer insects (like the cicada) are facing the end of their time.

Even though it is still very hot now, according to the traditional Japanese almanac, the 24 Sekki (２４節気), we are into Autumn already. The 24 Sekki divides the year into 24 equal parts, then subdivides each one into 3 more, giving us a total of 72 microseasons. This season is called Shosho (処暑, end of heat) and the microseason is 綿柎開 (watano hana shibehiraku) which refers to the cotton plants blooming around now.

In Japan, there are massive books called saijiki that list kigo (seasonal words) for every season. Every serious haiku poet owns at least one saijiki, sometimes several.

They might give a few words about any particular kigo as well as one or more famous haiku using that kigo for an example.

Even though many haiku written today in Japan are non-traditional and don't include kigo, saijiki are still good to help to get a person into the mood and give inspiration. And of course they are essential for anyone who does follow the traditional form, as kigo are then required.

For this one I was inspired by the kigo aki kuru (秋来る) which means Autumn is coming. If you can read Japanese, here is an entry for it in an online saijiki that I often use: https://kigosai.sub.jp/001/archives/2508. (It is grouped under the kigo 立秋—different saijiki organize things slightly differently)

Yes, and who can resist autumn is coming which calls to mind Ned's famous catchphrase from Game of Thrones.

	David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku.

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