Featured Seasonal Words by Category
The words we used to describe the season are what brings the season to life. On this page we list all the various kigo, seasonal words, we have explored over the course of our podcast. If you would like to see which episode they were featured in, you can visit the 24 Seasons section of the website and listen to the episode!
If you are interested in seeing what kigo we have in store for future episodes, and perhaps even write a poem, contribute a piece of music, or read a poem we encourage you to visit our Get Involved page to learn how you can be a part of the seasonal journey we all are on.
In the Sky
Spring
Storms, haze, sunlight, larks, robins, April showers, skylarks, fine weather, bird song, wild geese returning, and stormy weather
Summer
Ice Saints, noctilucent clouds, cuckoos, Kites, mosquitoes, rain, sunsets, fireflies, summer evening thunderstorms, cumulonimbus clouds, hawks, honeybees, short nights, Strawberry Moon, hiisuzushii (the coolness of far off twinkling light), and dragonflies
Autumn
Fog, Delta breezes, the Perseid meteor shower, dew, darkening days, autumn sunsets, crows, the harvest moon, gloom and mist, autumn sky, and migrating geese
Winter
Shigure, drizzling rain, cold weather, snow, hawks and falconry, winter wind, winter birds, winter storms, cold crows, lingering cold, crisp weather, shallow spring, bush warblers, spring light, March winds, spring mists, spring sunsets, rainbows, chimney smoke, wood smoke, twilight, first snow, the wren, and the robin
In the Water
Spring
The seaside in spring, firefly squid, tadpoles, running streams, melting snow, spring thaw
Summer
Ayu, fishing, eel, swimming holes, uchimizu (wetting the sidewalk to cool off), goldfish and goldfish catching
Autumn
Sanma and snow crab
In the Ground
Spring
Daffodils, cherry blossoms, peas, violets, eggs, pink phlox, frogs, catkins, pussy willows, plum blossoms, cats in love, March mountains, laughing mountains, spring mud, wintering insects, dandelions, cowslip primroses, nira, ninniku and nobiru, the first butterfly of spring, sansai (wild mountain vegetables), flowering dogwood, wisteria, gardens, lupines, broadbeans, weeding, fruitbag hanging, unripe tomatoes, ladybugs, “ango", kusabue, banryoku, dusk in the garden, The Secret Garden, Heather blossoms, quince blossoms, peach blossoms, witch hazel, crocuses, and March hares
Summer
Farmyard animals like hens and lambs, fresh greenery, irises, rhubarb, mud, mold, hydrangeas, roses, loquats, strawberries, morning glories, Chinese lanterns, lotuses, summer butterflies, cicadas, crickets, melons, blackberries, blueberries, berry pie, juneberries, mulberries, cherries, plums, apricots, eggplants, cucumbers, and edamame
Autumn
Autumn grasses, the Seven Flowers of Autumn, quail, ripening fruits, mushrooms, grapes, horse chestnuts, roadside flowers of cosmos and goldenrod, onions, blackberries, figs, zinnias, sparrows turning into clams, bell crickets, acorns, apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, chrysanthemums, vegetable gardens, garlic, basil, sunflowers, nightshade, asters, grasses, tomatoes, zucchini, and the harvest
Winter
Bare trees, fallen leaves, ginkgo trees, persimmons, snowy landscapes, snow bones, winter berries and greenery, rosemary, holly, the seven herbs of spring, amaryllis, paperwhite narcissus, snowdrops, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and cranberries
In Our Lives
Spring
Easter, Qingming, pruning and preparing the garden, controlled burns, maple tapping and maple syrup, Valentine’s Day, pancakes and Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, clam digging, eating shellfish,St. Patrick's Day, graduation day in Japan, spring fatigue, spring naps, spring fever, Arbor Day, May Day, Earth Day, Hachijuhachiya (88th Night), Golden Week, Greenery Day (Midori no Hi), tea picking, koromogae (changing out the clothes for the summer season), Saint Chad’s day, onsen, and Hina Matsuri.
Summer
Carp banners, Kodomo no Hi, Mother's Day, rice paddies and planting, parasols, windchimes, Tanabata, St. Swithin's Day, the summer solstice, midsummer celebrations, barbecues and picnics, berry season and berry picking, plum wine, ice-cream, honey, somen nagashi and nagashi somen, Lammas, summer festivals, summer plays and theaters, summer siestas, visiting the mountains/sea to escape the heat, and iced tea
Autumn
The Dog Days of summer, Obon, traveling, journeys, new beginnings, back to school, autumn vigor, Respect for the Aged Day, Bilbo Baggins’s and Frodo’s birthday, sweater weather, nochi no koromogae - changing out clothes for the season, pumpkin patches, autumn appetites, harvest home, The Green Corn Ceremony, giving thanks, apple cider, apple bees, Mabon, Chuseok, Higan, Ta no Kami, Inari, Corn Spirit, The Stranger, The Maiden, The Witch, The Old Woman, corn spirit animals, John Barleycorn
Winter
Ramen, hearty soups, Diwali, light in the darkness, anticipation and preparation, Shogatsu koto Hajime, Yule, Santa Lucia, Hanukkah, new beginnings, “firsts”, New Year’s Resolutions, Coming of Age Day, Plough Monday, cozy indoors, Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, Driving during the holidays, fruitcake and blackcake, cookie baking and cookie tins, Thanksgiving leftovers, Black Friday, Christmas tree shopping, taking stock of the year, making amends, the Winter Solstice, the holly and the oak king, the Yule Cat, the Dongzhi Festival, making mochi, ozoni soup, sunrise walks, winter spirals, carolling and carols, The Nutcracker, Charles Dickens, blue Christmas, gingerbread, Lille Julaften or Little Christmas Eve, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, hot drinks, wassail and wassailing, amazake, milk & cookies, Jolabokflod or the Christmas Book Flood, Christmas Cake, Boxing Day and the Feast of Saint Stephen, Romjul, O-souji, Nengajo or New Years’ cards, osechi ryori, toshikoshi soba or year end soba, and New Year’s Eve