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72 Seasons Hath Japan

Need a starter for your next email? We have just the app for you...

According to the Japanese ancient calendar and not so ancient revision, Japan has 24 major seasons and 72 micro-seasons in every year. Here is what Nippon.com | Your Doorway to Japan says about them:

The traditional Japanese calendar marks the passing of the seasons and changes in the natural world through the names given to different times of year. There are 24 major divisions, or sekki, from Risshun (Beginning of spring) in early February until Daikan (Greater cold). Originally taken from Chinese sources, these are still well-known around East Asia.

The 24 divisions are each split again into three for a total of 72 kō that lasts around five days each. The names were also originally taken from China, but they did not always match up well with the local climate. In Japan, they were eventually rewritten in 1685 by the court astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai. In their present form, they offer a poetic journey through the Japanese year in which the land awakens and blooms with life and activity before returning to slumber.

There is a free, delightful app that provides you with regular updates reflecting the unique attributes of the micro-season. Here is what the designer says about the app, 72 Seasons: A year of nature, food, and tradition seen through the ancient Japanese calendar.

“Spring Winds Thaw the Ice,” “The First Peach Blossoms,” “Damp Earth Humid Heat,” “The Maple and the Ivy Turn Yellow.” The 72 Seasons app brings you photographs, illustrations, haiku poems and words based on the poetic names of the seasons, each of which depicts a subtle change in the natural world throughout the year. The app updates according to the old 72 season calendar, approximately every 5 days, allowing you to enjoy an ancient yet refreshingly new way to feel the year progress, unhindered by precise dates and times.

For those of you who live close to nature and are inclined to pay close attention to the rhythms of plants, animals, and weather, you’ll recognize these subtle changes as actually very distinct. If you’re a nature person, by all means, check out the app - why settle for four seasons when you can have 72! Besides, when you want to write that perfect letter or email to a Japanese, with the perfect opening phrase, this app is a real ace in your iPhone.

P.S. A shout out to Stephen Benfey for introducing this to me.

 by Diana K Rowland

Author

 

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