二十四節気

a year in Japanese

twenty-four seasons, twenty-four chapters

Japan divides the year into twenty-four micro-seasons of about fifteen days each — the start of autumn, white dew, frost descending, greater cold. This book has one chapter for each of them. It begins in August and ends the following July, and by the end of it you can read.

Written for one reader.

Begin — 立秋

The year

  1. Volume 1 — autumn

    • 立秋risshūthe start of autumn
    • 処暑shoshoaround 23 August
    • 白露hakuroaround 8 September
    • 秋分shūbunaround 23 September
    • 寒露kanroaround 8 October
    • 霜降sōkōaround 23 October

  2. Volume 2 — winter

    • 立冬rittōaround 7 November
    • 小雪shōsetsuaround 22 November
    • 大雪taisetsuaround 7 December
    • 冬至tōjiaround 22 December
    • 小寒shōkanaround 5 January
    • 大寒daikanaround 20 January

  3. Volume 3 — spring

    • 立春risshunaround 4 February
    • 雨水usuiaround 19 February
    • 啓蟄keichitsuaround 6 March
    • 春分shunbunaround 21 March
    • 清明seimeiaround 5 April
    • 穀雨kokuuaround 20 April

  4. Volume 4 — summer

    • 立夏rikkaaround 6 May
    • 小満shōmanaround 21 May
    • 芒種bōshuaround 6 June
    • 夏至geshiaround 21 June
    • 小暑shōshoaround 7 July
    • 大暑taishoaround 23 July