Nobody will deny it if anybody says “Japan is a country of SAMURAI and BUSHI-DO”. But the thing is SAMURAI was not the majority of the population. If we want to talk about the majority, we could say, “Japan has been a country of agriculture and fishery”.
So, there are so many customs and traditions that remain today which are connected to knowledge and customs of farmers and fishermen.
24 seasons and ZASSETSU?
One of them is 24 seasons which we call “NIJUSHI-SEKKI”. This was originally brought from China. It divides each 4 seasons into 6 seasons. Many farmers’ work is directly connected to nature. Seasons and climate. So these 24 seasons were handier for farmers.
However, even though China and Japan are located close enough on the earth, the climate is different. So, Japanese added other seasons besides 24 seasons. That is called “ZASSETSU”. It has been corrected over the years and it is in our everyday life even today, with 24 seasons.
24 seasons and ZASSETSU share one thing. Both are based on the Lunisolar calendar. So the date differs every year. So, we would like to introduce these seasons as much as possible and timely as possible.
How to utilize these seasons for you.
I am from marchient family. So, I am not familiar with the customs of agriculture. But I was born and raised in an area with a lot of rice fields and nature. I have always felt the slight changes of the air, heat of the sun and sounds of insects & birds. The change occurs more than 4 times a year. And the moment when I notice the slight change, it is a rich and precious moment.
You might think that if you live in a different country, this information is useless. But if one of your dreams or goals is visiting Japan, it also helps you to decide when to visit Japan. Not just climate to choose but also our traditional events like festivals and seasonal customs are based on these. You can pick when to visit by the climate and what you want to experience here in Japan.
I hope you will enjoy it!
How to follow the information: Just 3 steps!
STEP 1: Follow our account with the social media you use the most.
STEP 2: Follow the hash tag.
#morethan4seasons
STEP 3: Set the notice from our account
Each social media has its own way to set the notice. If possible, set it for you to get the notice when we post something new!
OR
Visit here once in a while 🙂
-SATOKO
head curator
Comments by satoko