Spring, summer, autumn, and winter” Japan’s four seasons are beautiful.
In spring, cherry blossoms bloom to add color to the pleasant warmth.
In summer, festivals, firework displays, wind chimes, and other cool-weather customs take center stage.
In the fall, the autumn leaves are the most attractive.
And the weather gradually cools down from the hot summer. I feel a sense of sadness at the sense of the season progressing toward winter.
Winter. The snow falling on Japan and the landscape is a thing of beauty for anyone anywhere.
And in Japan, the beauty of the four seasons has long been expressed in words.
The four seasons and language of Japan are traditional, yet elegant, refined, and graceful.
This kind of elegance is called “Miyabi” in Japanese.
We want people overseas to know the charm of Japan’s beautiful four seasons and language.
Let us introduce its appeal in this issue.
The four seasons of Japan and the beautiful words associated with each season will be introduced.
We hope you will enjoy it to the end.
- Kosho noci” conveys the four seasons and the language of Japan
- A History of Seasons and Words in Poetry
- Introducing Japan’s beautiful four seasons and language
- Finally
Kosho noci” conveys the four seasons and the language of Japan
In writing this article, I would like to introduce some influencers who are promoting the beauty of Japan’s four seasons and language.
Her name is “Kosho noci”.
She shares the beautiful seasons and words of Japan with her photos on Twitter and Instagram.
Please keep in mind that this article will also refer to the “noci” transmission.
A History of Seasons and Words in Poetry
Before I introduce the beauty of the four seasons and their words, I would like you to know how much the Japanese people have cherished the seasons and their words.
Have you ever heard of haiku, tanka, or waka poetry?
Haiku is a form of poetry that became popular during the Edo period, beginning in 1603.
They are five-, seven-, and five-note poems that incorporate seasonal words called “kigo,” or seasonal words, which people freely sang about the seasons, nature, and things that symbolize Japan.
Waka or tanka is a poem composed of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 syllables and is slightly longer than haiku.
This also includes seasonal words, “Kigo”
Waka and tanka poems have been enjoyed since the Heian period (794-1185), long before the Edo period.
In Japan, people have been fascinated by the beauty of the four seasons since ancient times, and have put it into words.
This is how beautiful and traditional the Japanese seasons and language are.
Introducing Japan’s beautiful four seasons and language
From here, let me introduce you to Japan’s beautiful four seasons and language.
Along with that, I will also talk about Japanese culture in each season.
Beautiful Language and Culture of Spring
Spring is the warm and mild season from March to May. And cherry blossoms are a symbol of spring.
①春は曙Haru wa akebono (Spring is Dawn)
The time when the spring night begins to dawn and the sky gradually begins to lighten.
②花吹雪Hana Fubuki （Blizzard of flowers）
The word was created because the dancing petals of cherry blossoms look like a snowstorm.
③春愁 Syunnsyu （Spring melancholy）
A sudden feeling of sadness or a thought of things on a spring day.
Spring is full of joy, but for some reason it sometimes makes us sad.
Japanese spring culture “Hanami”
Hanami is an ancient Japanese custom of appreciating flowers on trees, mainly cherry blossoms, and feeling the arrival of spring.
When the cherry blossoms bloom, people enjoy eating, drinking, and viewing the blossoms in parks with their families and friends.
Beautiful Language and Culture of Summer
Summer festivals, fireworks, the sea, and wind chimes make this the most exciting season of the year.
①夕凪 Yuunagi （Evening calm）
The calming of the waves and winds in the evening. Temperatures on land and sea become almost the same and there is no wind.
The Yuunagi sea is quiet and soothing.
②夏の宵 Natsu no yoi （Summer Evening）
It was just after sunset in the summer and not yet night.
A moment to relax and unwind from the daytime heat.
The color of the sky changes from purple to blue.
③夏めく Natsu Mehku (become like summer)
The climate and customs should become more like summer.
I feel happy when I suddenly feel summer even though I thought it was still spring.
Japanese Summer Culture “Summer Festival and Fireworks Display
Summer means summer festivals and fireworks displays.
At summer festivals, people enjoy eating delicious food at food stalls and playing goldfish scooping and target shooting.
Fireworks displays are often held together on the night of summer festivals.
Many fireworks will be launched into the summer night sky.
Summer time spent with friends and loved ones is an unforgettable experience.
Beautiful Autumn Words and Culture
Summer is over and autumn is gradually becoming cooler and cooler.
It is the season when the air is clear and the blue sky, moon, and stars are beautiful.
The most attractive feature of such an autumn season would be the autumn leaves.
①不知火 Shiranui
A mirage of light seen off the Yachiyo Sea and Ariake Sea in Kyushu at midnight.
It was so named because it looked like a fire whose cause was unknown (Shiranai).
Shiranai means “unknown” in English
②夕月夜 Yuzukiyo （night of setting moon）
The name of the moon from the end of August to the first sine.
The moon at this time of year begins to rise in the evening and is ephemeral because its light is weak and it disappears from view by midnight.
③秋声 Syusei （autumn sound）
The sound of the wind, leaves falling, insects and other natural sounds that remind us of autumn.
Japanese Autumn Culture“Momiji Gari“ “Autumn Foliage Viewing
Momijigari (紅葉狩り) is to appreciate the autumn leaves.
The charm of autumn-leaf viewing is to go out for a drive, visit hot springs, and eat delicious food while admiring the red and yellow leaves of the trees in the mountains of Japan’s rich natural beauty.
Beautiful Winter Language and Culture
Cold weather season. With that, the animals take a break for spring. Winter in Japan is quiet and beautiful.
①冬めく Fuyumeku （Feel the arrival of winter）
To be wintery. To feel wintery.
The gestures and clothes of the people, the quietness of the streets, and the plants and trees give me a sense of winter.
②冬ざれ Fuyuzare
A word that describes the cold winter, when the grass and trees wither, and everything goes to sleep.
Fuyuzare is quiet and lonely.
③雪明り Yukiakari （reflected light of snow）
The area appears bright even at night due to the reflection of the accumulated snow.
The snowy light produced by the Japanese emotional landscape and the falling snow is very beautiful.
Japanese Winter Culture” Yuki Geshiki” Snow Landscape
Snow piling up on Japanese houses, snowy scenery seen from hot springs, snow on Mt.Fuji.
No matter which snowy landscape you see in Japan, you will always be awestruck by the emotional white and silvery world.
Finally
In this issue, we introduced the beautiful four seasons and words of Japan.
Japan is full of charm in every season: spring, summer, fall, and winter.
There, the expressive language of Japanese reflects the beauty of the four seasons even more beautifully.
It is no exaggeration to say that Japan’s beautiful four seasons and language, which have been cherished from ancient times to the present, are the most attractive features of Japan.
Don’t forget about Kosho noci, an influencer who was helpful to me in writing this article.
She has been able to transmit the beauty of Japan to the whole country and the world through the tool of social networking, which was not available in the past.
There are many more beautiful words for the four seasons.
If you are interested in learning more about Japanese seasonal words after reading this article, you should look them up.
We hope that the beauty of Japan’s unique four seasons and the charm of its language have been conveyed to you.
