Probably no other country in the world has a more nuanced understanding of the seasons than Japan. The Japanese are famous for their appreciation of nature. Most of us are acquainted with their festivals such Otsukimi (moon gazing) and Sakura Matsuri (cherry blossoms), with some of the most lyrical Haiku (short Japanese poems) describing the seasons, especially by old masters like the 17th century poet Matsuo Basho.
But did you know that an ancient calendar of Japan identified the major seasons into smaller units based on changes in nature than follow the movement of the earth around the sun They had special names for these micro seasons, which described the relation between the seasonal phenomenon and the land. For example, Hakuro or White Dew, Soko (pronounced Sookoo) or Frost Descent.
Known as Sekki, they divided the solar year into 24 units. The Sekki was further divided into 72 micro seasons (an idea believed to have originated in China) or Ko (pronounced Koo), which highlighted even the nearly imperceptible changes in nature, little signs which people might have missed otherwise. So you can have a season when &lsquoSpring Winds Thaw the Ice&rsquo, or &lsquoThe First Peach Blossom&rsquo, or &lsquoThe Maple and the Ivy Turn Yellow&rsquo, etc. Each Ko usually lasts for five days and divides each Sekki into three units. It is said that Shibukawa Shunkai, an official astronomer from the Edo period of Japan, rewrote the Chinese descriptions to make them more suited to the natural and climatic changes seen in Japan.
These beautiful seasonal notes may have remained a secret for the greater world if it was not for the Utsukushii Kurashikata Institute (Beautiful Living Research Lab) established in November 2010 by Dentsu and Heibonsha. The Institute has created an application (app) called &rsquo72 Seasons&rsquo, which highlight the micro seasons - a digital guide that helps you have a more experiential travel through the Land of the Rising Sun, allowing you to know which natural phenomenon to look out for. And if you cannot travel at the moment, there is nothing to stop you from enjoying the micro seasons through your browser.
Through photographs, illustrations, haiku and words based on the poetic names of the seasons, the app will tell you which micro season is prevailing at that moment. Each Sekki is divided into three units. For example, the Sekki White Dew is divided into &lsquoWhite Dew on the Grass&rsquo (September 7-11), &lsquoThe Wagtail Calls&rsquo (September 12-16) and &lsquoThe Swallows Leave&rsquo (September 17-21).
If you open the app now (September 28 and October 2), you will find the second unit of the Sekki Autumn Equinox, where it says this is the time when &lsquohibernating creatures close their doors&rsquo, a lyrical haiku by Suzuki Michihiko (1757-1819) and explanation on the same. According to the creators of the app, the content updates according to the old 72 season calendar, allowing the users to &lsquoenjoy an ancient yet refreshingly new way to feel the year progress, unhindered by precise dates and times&rsquo.
The latest (Android) version of the 72 Seasons app (which was originally released in 2015) allows the reader to read the content in both English and Japanese, all in the same app.
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