立春 Risshun (Beginning of Spring)

February 4–8       東風解凍 Harukaze kōri o toku      East wind melts the ice

February 9–13     黄鶯睍睆 Kōō kenkan su  Bush warblers start singing in the mountains

February 14–18   魚上氷 Uo kōri o izuru     Fish emerge from the ice

雨水 Usui (Rainwater)

February 19–23   土脉潤起 Tsuchi no shō uruoi okoru           Rain moistens the soil

February 24–28   霞始靆 Kasumi hajimete tanabiku Mist starts to linger

March 1–5           草木萌動 Sōmoku mebae izuru      Grass sprouts, trees bud

啓蟄 Keichitsu (Insects awaken)

March 6–10         蟄虫啓戸 Sugomori mushito o hiraku  Hibernating insects surface

March 11–15       桃始笑 Momo hajimete saku          First peach blossoms

March 16–20       菜虫化蝶 Namushi chō to naru      Caterpillars become butterflies

春分 Shunbun (Spring equinox)

March 21–25       雀始巣 Suzume hajimete sukū       Sparrows start to nest

March 26–30       櫻始開 Sakura hajimete saku         First cherry blossoms

March 31–April 4              雷乃発声 Kaminari sunawachi koe o hassu  Distant thunder

清明 Seimei (Pure and clear)

April 5–9             玄鳥至 Tsubame kitaru    Swallows return

April 10–14         鴻雁北 Kōgan kaeru         Wild geese fly north

April 15–19         虹始見 Niji hajimete arawaru        First rainbows

穀雨 Kokuu (Grain rains)

April 20–24         葭始生 Ashi hajimete shōzu           First reeds sprout

April 25–29         霜止出苗 Shimo yamite nae izuru  Last frost, rice seedlings grow

April 30–May 4   牡丹華 Botan hana saku   Peonies bloom

立夏 Rikka (Beginning of summer)

May 5–9 蛙始鳴 Kawazu hajimete naku       Frogs start singing

May 10–14          蚯蚓出 Mimizu izuru       Worms surface

May 15–20          竹笋生 Takenoko shōzu   Bamboo shoots sprout

小満 Shōman (Lesser ripening)

May 21–25          蚕起食桑 Kaiko okite kuwa o hamu             Silkworms start feasting on mulberry leaves

May 26–30          紅花栄 Benibana sakau    Safflowers bloom

May 31–June 5    麦秋至 Mugi no toki itaru              Wheat ripens and is harvested

芒種 Bōshu (Grain beards and seeds)

June 6–10            蟷螂生 Kamakiri shōzu    Praying mantises hatch

June 11–15          腐草為螢 Kusaretaru kusa hotaru to naru    Rotten grass becomes fireflies

June 16–20          梅子黄 Ume no mi kibamu            Plums turn yellow

夏至 Geshi (Summer solstice)

June 21–26          乃東枯 Natsukarekusa karuru        Self-heal withers

June 27–July 1     菖蒲華 Ayame hana saku  Irises bloom

July 2–6 半夏生 Hange shōzu        Crow-dipper sprouts

小暑 Shōsho (Lesser heat)

July 7–11             温風至 Atsukaze itaru      Warm winds blow

July 12–16           蓮始開 Hasu hajimete hiraku         First lotus blossoms

July 17–22           鷹乃学習 Taka sunawachi waza o narau      Hawks learn to fly

大暑 Taisho (Greater heat)

July 23–28           桐始結花 Kiri hajimete hana o musubu       Paulownia trees produce seeds

July 29–August 2 土潤溽暑 Tsuchi uruōte mushi atsushi        Earth is damp, air is humid

August 3–7          大雨時行 Taiu tokidoki furu           Great rains sometimes fall

立秋 Risshū (Beginning of autumn)

August 8–12        涼風至 Suzukaze itaru      Cool winds blow

August 13–17      寒蝉鳴 Higurashi naku     Evening cicadas sing

August 18–22      蒙霧升降 Fukaki kiri matō             Thick fog descends

処暑 Shosho (Manageable heat)

August 23–27      綿柎開 Wata no hana shibe hiraku Cotton flowers bloom

August 28–September 1    天地始粛 Tenchi hajimete samushi              Heat starts to die down

September 2–7    禾乃登 Kokumono sunawachi minoru         Rice ripens

白露 Hakuro (White dew)

September 8–12  草露白 Kusa no tsuyu shiroshi       Dew glistens white on grass

September 13–17              鶺鴒鳴 Sekirei naku         Wagtails sing

September 18–22              玄鳥去 Tsubame saru       Swallows leave

秋分 Shūbun (Autumn equinox)

September 23–27              雷乃収声 Kaminari sunawachi koe o osamu Thunder ceases

September 28–October 2  蟄虫坏戸 Mushi kakurete to o fusagu          Insects hole up underground

October 3–7        水始涸 Mizu hajimete karuru        Farmers drain fields

寒露 Kanro (Cold dew)

October 8–12      鴻雁来 Kōgan kitaru        Wild geese return

October 13–17    菊花開 Kiku no hana hiraku           Chrysanthemums bloom

October 18–22    蟋蟀在戸 Kirigirisu to ni ari           Crickets chirp around the door

霜降 Sōkō (Frost falls)

October 23–27    霜始降 Shimo hajimete furu          First frost

October 28–November 1  霎時施 Kosame tokidoki furu         Light rains sometimes fall

November 2–6    楓蔦黄 Momiji tsuta kibamu          Maple leaves and ivy turn yellow

立冬 Rittō (Beginning of winter)

November 7–11  山茶始開 Tsubaki hajimete hiraku Camellias bloom

November 12–16 地始凍 Chi hajimete kōru Land starts to freeze

November 17–21 金盞香 Kinsenka saku      Daffodils bloom

小雪 Shōsetsu (Lesser snow)

November 22–26 虹蔵不見 Niji kakurete miezu        Rainbows hide

November 27–December 1             朔風払葉 Kitakaze konoha o harau North wind blows the leaves from the trees

December 2–6     橘始黄 Tachibana hajimete kibamu             Tachibana citrus tree leaves start to turn yellow

大雪 Taisetsu (Greater snow)

December 7–11   閉塞成冬 Sora samuku fuyu to naru            Cold sets in, winter begins

December 12–16 熊蟄穴 Kuma ana ni komoru          Bears start hibernating in their dens

December 17–21 鱖魚群 Sake no uo muragaru         Salmon gather and swim upstream

冬至 Tōji (Winter solstice)

December 22–26 乃東生 Natsukarekusa shōzu         Self-heal sprouts

December 27–31 麋角解 Sawashika no tsuno otsuru Deer shed antlers

January 1–4         雪下出麦 Yuki watarite mugi nobiru            Wheat sprouts under snow

小寒 Shōkan (Lesser cold)

January 5–9         芹乃栄 Seri sunawachi sakau         Parsley flourishes

January 10–14     水泉動 Shimizu atataka o fukumu Springs thaw

January 15–19     雉始雊 Kiji hajimete naku              Pheasants start to call

大寒 Daikan (Greater cold)

January 20–24     款冬華 Fuki no hana saku Butterburs bud

January 25–29     水沢腹堅 Sawamizu kōri tsumeru  Ice thickens on streams

January 30–February 3      鶏始乳 Niwatori hajimete toya ni tsuku       Hens start laying eggs