Hello everyone learning Japanese! I hope you are doing great.
I have been feeling the seasonal transition over the past few days. During the day, I can hear cicadas singing loudly in chorus, while bell crickets have started singing beautifully at night. The cool breeze also feels wonderful.
I feel that autumn is just around the corner, both through my ears and on my skin.
The Japanese word for August is 葉月 (ha zuki), and it is believed to come from several different origins, but they are all related to the coming of autumn.
One of the theories comes from 葉落ち月 (ha ochi zuki), meaning “the month when leaves fall.” You can imagine the scene of rich, green leaves starting to fall as they prepare for the cooler days ahead. I think it is a pretty beautiful image.
Another theory is 穂張り月 (ho hari zuki), meaning “the month when the ears of rice become full.” This time of year is the peak of the rice-growing season, when the rice plants become heavy with grain. Thinking about this makes me want to eat some nice onigiri!
The scorching summer weather made outdoor activities quite difficult, so I cannot wait to go on a picnic or simply take a stroll while enjoying the gentle autumn breeze. Packing a few onigiri would be a perfect idea for eating outside.
There is also something special about the way Japanese people notice these small changes in nature. The sound of insects, the colour of the sky, the feeling of the wind, and even the food we start craving can all tell us that the season is changing. I think this sensitivity to the seasons is one of the lovely things about Japanese culture.
If you are learning Japanese, this is also a good time to notice some seasonal words and expressions.
For example, 秋風 (akikaze) means “autumn wind,” and 秋晴れ (aki bare) means “clear sky with no clouds.” I particularly like 秋晴れ because it describes that crisp, clear feeling of an autumn day when the air is cool and refreshing, the sky is beautifully blue, and everything somehow feels a little lighter and calmer (It just makes me want to spread my arms and just breathe in the fresh air!).
How was your summer? Did you go anywhere for a holiday, or did you do anything fun?
And now that autumn is coming, is there anything you are looking forward to? Maybe some seasonal food, a trip, a walk in the cooler weather, or simply enjoying a quieter time after the hot summer.
I hope you have a lovely end of August, and I will see you in September!
Photo by Shakib Uzzaman on Unsplash
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