Japanese words, expressions, habits, and small cultural details that are difficult to translate.
Japanese Words & Culture 鴻雁来: Wild geese arrive | Japan’s 72 Microseasons
What 鴻雁来 (Wild geese arrive) means in Japan, and what is actually in season now through the lens of shun.
Japanese Words & Culture Kanro (寒露): Cold Dew in Japan
What 寒露 (Cold Dew) means in Japan, and what is actually in season now through the lens of shun.
Japanese Words & Culture 蟄虫坏戸: Insects seal their shelters | Japan’s 72 Microseasons
What 蟄虫坏戸 (Insects seal their shelters) means in Japan, and what is actually in season now through the lens of shun.
Japanese Words & Culture 水始涸: Water begins to recede | Japan’s 72 Microseasons
水始涸 marks the point when rice paddies move toward harvest: water recedes, golden fields mature, and new-crop rice begins to reach the table.
Japanese Words & Culture 雷乃収声: Thunder ceases | Japan’s 72 Microseasons
What 雷乃収声 (Thunder ceases) means in Japan, and what is actually in season now through the lens of shun.
Japanese Words & Culture 禾乃登: Rice and other grains ripen | Japan’s 72 Microseasons
What 禾乃登 (Rice and other grains ripen) means in Japan, and what is actually in season now through the lens of shun.
Japanese Words & Culture 玄鳥去: Swallows depart | Japan’s 72 Microseasons
What Tsubame saru (Swallows depart) means in Japan, and what is actually in season now through the lens of shun.
Japanese Words & Culture Shubun (秋分): Autumn Equinox in Japan
What 秋分 (Autumn Equinox) means in Japan, and how the old seasonal calendar compares with present-day weather and everyday life.
Japanese Words & Culture Why Are Japanese Temples and Shrines Red, Green, and Gold?
Why do Japanese temples and shrines so often use vermilion, green, yellow, and gold? The answer connects mineral pigments, religion, architecture, and East Asian cultural exchange.
Japanese Words & Culture Why Do Japanese People Slurp Noodles? From Edo Soba to Iki
Why is slurping ramen, soba, or udon acceptable in Japan? The answer leads from Edo street food to aroma, etiquette, and the hard-to-translate idea of iki.