花衣【はなごろも】 hanagoromo flower(-viewing) clothes (late spring)
- 花見衣【はなみごろも】 hanamigoromo flower-viewing clothes
生活【せいかつ】 seikatsu Daily Life
野焼く【のやく】 no yaku (to) burn field(s) (early spring)
- 野焼【のやき】 noyaki field-burning
花菜漬【はななづけ】 hanana-zuke pickled rape greens / pickled mustard greens (late spring)
- 菜の花漬【なのはなづけ】 na-no-hana-zuke pickled rape greens / pickled mustard greens
木の芽和【きのめあえ】 ki-no-me-ae （きのめあへ）, Japanese-pepper bud salad / prickly-ash bud salad [山椒 sanshō, Zanthoxylum piperitum; to avoid confusion with this spicy plant, colloquial ki-no-me for "tree buds" is avoided in haikai] (all spring)
目刺【めざし】 mezashi dried sardines [strung on a stick through the eyes] (all spring)
- 目刺鰯【めざしいわし】 mezashi dried sardines
- ほおざし hōzashi dried sardines
草餅【くさもち】 kusamochi mugwort mochi (mid spring)
- 蓬餅【よもぎもち】 yomogimochi mugwort mochi
菜飯【なめし】 nameshi (cooked) rice with mustard greens [see 菜の花 na no hana] (all spring)
春炬燵【はるごたつ】 harugotatsu spring kotatsu [which see] (all spring)
炉塞【ろふさぎ】 ro-fusagi closing the hearth (late spring)
- 炉を塞ぐ【ろをふさぐ】 ro o fusagu (to) close the hearth
- 炉の名残【ろのなごり】 ro no nagori farewell to the hearth [a tea ceremony before closing the hearth]
- 炬燵塞ぐ【こたつふさぐ】 kotatsu fusagu (to) close the kotatsu [which see]
北窓開く【きたまどひらく】 kita mado hiraku (to) open north window(s) (mid spring)
麦踏【むぎふみ】 mugi-fumi barley-treading (early spring)
- 麦を踏む【むぎをふむ】 mugi o fumu (to) tread on barley
耕【たがやし】 tagayashi plow/plough (all spring)
- 耕人【こうじん】 kōjin plowman/ploughman
- 耕馬【こうば】 kōba plow/plough horse
- 耕午【こうぎゅう】 kōgyū plow/plough/draft/draught ox
- 春耕【しゅんこう】 shunkō spring plowing/ploughing
畦塗【あぜぬり】 azenuri ridge-plastering [between rice paddies] (late spring)
- くわぬり kuwanuri （畔塗）, embankment-plastering [between paddies]
- 塗畦【ぬりあぜ】 nuriaze plastered ridge(s) [between paddies]
種蒔【たねまき】 tanemaki seed-planting (late spring)
- 播種【ばしゅ】 bashu planting seed(s)
- 物種蒔く【ものだねまく】 monodane maku (to) plant various seeds [connotation: "to plant life"; most authorities place this as a separate kidai in mid spring]
- 種下【たねおろし】 tane oroshi seed-planting
- 籾蒔く【もみまく】 momi maku (to) plant rice
- 花種蒔く【はなだねまく】 hanadane maku (to) plant flower seeds
With rice culture at the core of Japan's agriculture, "seed-planting" refers to planting seed rice in "nursery beds" where it will grow into seedlings. On the other hand, the term may also refer to planting the seeds of vegetables and flowering plants.
Farmers plant the rice seeds in nursery beds after "seed-selection" (removing inferior seeds) and "seed-soaking" (to encourage germination). They work with a hopeful feeling. Depending on the natural features and climate of the locale, seed-planting takes place between Higan (彼岸【ひがん】, the week of the vernal equinox) and the "Eighty-Eighth Night" (八十八夜【はちじゅうはちや】 hachijūhachiya, from the beginning of spring; the second or third of May). The shape of "remaining snow" (残雪【ざんせつ】 zansetsu) on a nearby mountain, the blooming of "kobus magnolia" (辛夷【こぶし】 kobushi), and similar seasonal phenomena help determine planting time.
This morning, rice was planted in the nursery beds. From then to now, seed bag after seed bag, the rice was planted grain-by-grain. Each grain will make a world. Even at night, the rice grains can be clearly seen. Somehow, they seem already beginning to grow.
種蒔もよしや十日の雨ののち
蕪村
tanemaki mo yoshi ya tōka no ame no nochi
the seed planting
so good--after ten
days' rain
Buson
この寒さ心得てをり籾おろし
阿波野青畝
kono samusa kokoroete ori momi orishi
this coldness
he knows it well
sowing rice
Awano Seiho
種蒔けば天をかぎりの夕焼ぞ
大野林火
tani makeba ten o kagiri no yūyake zo
they plant seeds--
to the limits of the sky
this sunset glow
Ohno Rinka
種蒔いて黒土にいのち弾む日よ
三谷昭
tane maite kurotsuchi ni inochi hasumu hi yo
sowing seeds
life in the black earth
the springing sun
Mitani Akira
蒔き終へてなほ叩きけり種袋
米戸豊春
makioete naotatakikeri tanebukuro
the sowing done
now it gets repaired:
the seed bag
Yonedo Hōshun
種まきし上にこまかな夜気が乗る
平畑静塔
tane makishi ue ni komaka na yaki ga noru
seeds planted
a thin evening chill
rises over them
Hirahata Seitō
苗木市【なえぎいち】 naegi-ichi （なへぎいち）, sapling market (mid spring)
- 植木市【うえきいち】 ueki-ichi potted-plant market
剪定【せんてい】 sentei pruning (mid spring)
根分【ねわけ】 ne-wake root-dividing / separating seedlings (mid spring)
桑解く【くわとく】 kuwa toku （くはとく）, (to) untie mulbery (trees) [wrapped for winter] (mid spring)
蚕飼【こがい】 kogai （こがひ）, raising silkworms / sericulture (late spring)
- 養蚕【ようさん】 yōsan sericulture / raising silkworms
- 種紙【たねがみ】 tanegami （蚕卵紙）, silkworm egg paper
- 掃立【はきたて】 hakitate brushing silkworms [from egg paper]
- 蚕籠【こかご】 kokago silkworm cage
- 飼屋【かいや】 kaiya silkworm shed
- 蚕棚【かいこだな】 kaikodana silkworm rack
- 蚕室【さんしつ】 sanshitsu silkworm room
- 蚕飼時【こがいどき】 kogaidoki silkworm-raising time
茶摘【ちゃつみ】 chatsumi tea picking (late spring)
- 一番茶【いちばんちゃ】 ichibancha first-grade tea [first picking]
- 茶摘女【ちゃつみめ】 chatsumime tea-picker [female]
- 茶摘唄【ちゃつみうた】 chatsumi-uta tea-picking song
- 茶山【ちゃやま】 chayama tea-hill/mountain
- 茶畑【ちゃばたけ】 chabatake tea field(s)
- 茶摘籠【ちゃつみかご】 chatsumikago tea-picking basket
潮干【しおひ】 shiohi （しほひ）, low tide (late spring)
- 干潟【ひがた】 higata tideland
- 潮干狩【しおひがり】 shiohigari beachcombing / low-tide (shell) gathering
Around the third day of the third month in the lunar calendar, we have the middle of the spring
tides--or "the great tide" (大潮【おおしお】 ōshio). Then the ebb
and flow of the tides are extreme, and the low-tide flats extend toward the offing; one can walk far
out on the tideland; this is what makes "low tide" a spring topic. The weather is warm, and whole families
take boxed lunches and go out on the tidal flats "beachcombing" to gather clams, littlenecks, and the
like. In many built-up areas pollution has made it impossible to go shellfish gathering, so people from
in town go out to the seashores and beaches to enjoy this day on "beach visits" or out in boats to "view
the tides". （Note that in classically arranged saijiki, the first three kigo here would be listed under
"The Earth", but the others would be listed under "Daily Life" or human activities.)
[Awaji is a large scenic island between Osaka (old Naniwa) and Shikoku, famous for spectacular tidal
phenomena in the surrounding waters.]
Just that way, when the tide is rising people run about picking up things as if they were completely
crazy. Waiting impatiently, people begin to amuse themselves here and there. When the flats come into
view, there is a transformation as people quickly spread out, looking like so many flounders revealed
on the tideflats.
上り帆の淡路はなれぬ潮干哉
去来
nobori ho no awaji hanarenu shiohi kana
raised sails
coming out from Awaji Island--
this low tide
Kyorai
潮干潟誰もひとりの影を掘る
山口草堂
shiohigata taremo hitori no kage o horu
low-tide flats
each one digs up
her own shadow
Yamaguchi Sōdō
あすもある干潟と思ひゆきてみず
山口波津女
asu mo aru higata to omoi yukite mizu
there's always tomorrow
thinking of the tide-flats
and not going
Yamaguchi Hatsujo
さりげなくひとと競へり潮干狩
黒坂紫陽子
sarige naku hito to kisoeri shiohigari
so casually
in competition with each other:
shellfish gathering
Kurosaka Shiyōshi
潮干狩みちきし潮に貝を洗ふ
西池涼雨
shiohigari michikishi shio ni kai no arau
beachcombing--
as the tide comes full
it washes shells
Nishiike Ryūsu
あらはれし干潟に人はや遊ぶ
清崎敏郎
arawareshi higata ni hito haya-asobu
on the tideflats
just now in view people
quickly play
Kiyosaki Toshio
遠足【えんそく】 ensoku （ゑんそく）, (spring) outing [includes hiking, picnicking, outdoor games; a typical spring field trip for schoolchildren] (late spring)
踏青【とうせい】 tōsei （たふせい）, treading the turf/greensward (late spring)
- 青踏む【あおきふむ】 aoki fumu (to) tread the turf/greensward
花見【はなみ】 hanami (cherry) blossom viewing (late spring)
- 桜狩【さくらがり】 sakuragari cherry (blossom) hunting
- 観桜【かんおう】 kan'ou viewing cherry (blossoms)
風船【ふうせん】 fūsen balloon (all spring)
- 紙風船【かみふうせん】 kamifūsen paper balloon
- ゴム風船【ごむふうせん】 gomufūsen rubber balloon
- 風船玉【ふうせんだま】 fūsendama balloon sphere
- 風船売【ふうせんうり】 fūsen-uri balloon seller/vendor
風車【かざぐるま】 kazaguruma pinwheel (all spring)
- 風車売【かざぐるまうり】 kazaguruma-uri pinwheel seller/vendor
石鹸玉【しゃぼんだま】 shabondama soap bubbles (all spring)
鞦韆【しゅうせん】 shūsen swing (all spring)
- ぶらんこ buranko swing
- ふらここ furakoko swing
- ふらんと furanto swing
- 半仙戯【はんせんぎ】 hansengi swing
朝寝【あさね】 asane sleeping late / sleeping in [in the morning] (all spring)
春愁【しゅんしゅう】 shunshū （しゅんしう）, spring melancholy (mid spring)
- 春かなし【はるかなし】 harukanashi spring sadness
試験【しけん】 shiken examination(s) (mid spring)
- 大試験【だいしけん】 daishiken major examination(s)
- 入学試験【にゅうがくしけん】 nyūgaku shiken entrance examination(s)
- 受験【じゅけん】 juken taking an examination
- 学年試験【がくねんしけん】 gakunen shiken year-end examination(s)
- 及第【きゅうだい】 kyūdai pass (an examination)
- 落第【らくだい】 rakudai fail (an examination)
卒業【そつぎょう】 sotsugyō （そつげふ）, graduation [the Japanese academic year typically starts in April and ends the following March, when graduations take place at all levels] (mid spring)
- 卒業式【そつぎょうしき】 sotsugyō-shiki graduation ceremony/ceremonies
- 卒業歌【そつぎょうか】 sotsugyōka graduation song
入学【にゅうがく】 nyūgaku （にふがく）, entering school [applies to students entering their first years in new schools at the beginning of the school year, about 1 April] (mid spring)
- 新入生【しんにゅうせい】 shinnyūsei freshman / first-year student
- 入学児【にゅうがくじ】 nyūgakuji new schoolchild
- 進学【しんがく】 shingaku advancing in one's studies [to the next level of school, i.e., to high school, to college]
- 一年生【いちねんせい】 ichinensei first year student / freshman
春闘【しゅんとう】 shuntō spring offensive [of Japanese labor unions; note: homonym of 春濤【しゅんとう】 shuntō, spring waves--see 春の海【はるのうみ】 haru no umi] (late spring)
