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 (節気, sekki) is Risshun (立春), the 1st solar term, which means Beginning of Spring. We are a third in! It started Feb 4th. We covered it last time so go read there if you want more info.
Risshun lasts until Feb 18th.
Today, Feb 9th, begins 黄鶯睍睆, the 2nd microseason (候, kō) which is read uguisu naku and means The Uguisu Starts Singing. This is the second microseason of Risshun, which is itself the 1st solar term of spring.
Ahh this is something that all Japanese look forward to all winter: the cry of the uguisu, one of the biggest symbols of spring. There are a couple translations common for this bird, Japanese nightingale and bush-warbler being the most common. I’d favor just using the Japanese word.
More on the uguisu in a bit. Anyway, it start to be heard around now.
In addition to the uguisu, the plum blossoms are continuing to come out now. Also the herring, which is known as the spring fish, is entering its spawning season. Nature is continuing to wake up.
The uguisu (鶯) is often heard more than it is seen. These days, in fact, many people have no idea what it looks like, but everyone knows its beautiful call, represented in Japanese as “hooohokekyo”. If you hear it, that will make perfect sense.
It really sounds like hoooohokekyo, doesn’t it?
The bird has been featured in Japanese poetry since the very first book of poetry, the Man’yōshū (c750) and is often linked to the ume blossoms as a harbinger of spring.
In Japanese Buddhism, it is associated with the Lotus Sutra, called hokekyō in Japanese (法華経).
The uguisu is such a huge part of Japanese culture that a great many things have been named after it. In some circles, it is said that the first person who hears the call in spring will gain great luck.
Here is a haiku for this microseason:
When we hear its song, not only do we feel spring is near, but we are reminded of past springs and our youth in those springs that now only exist in memory. I think Onitsura’s sentiment would be familiar to most Japanese.
uguisu is, unsurprisingly, a kigo (season word) for spring.
Will move this info to another post one of these days, but for now, briefly:
The next microseason starts on Feb 13th. See you then for the next forecast!
