LIST OF KIGO

This is a list of kigo, which are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season in Japanese poetry. They provide an econo my of expression that is especially valuable in the very short haiku, as well as the longer linked-verse forms renku and renga, to indicate the season referenced in the poem or stanza.

JAPANESE
SEASONS
Until 1873, in the Japanese calendar, seasons traditionally followed the lunisolar calendar with the sol stices and equinoxes at the middle of a sea son. The traditional Japanese seasons are: Spring: 4 February 5 May Summer: 6 May 7 August Autumn: 8 August 6 November Winter: 7 Novem
Cherry trees from Japan around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

ber3 February For kigo, each season is then divided into early, mid-, and late periods. For Spring, these would be: Early Spring: 4 Feb ruary5 March (Feb ruary) Mid-Spring: 6 March4 April (March) Late Spring: 5 April5 May (April)
Cherry blossoms (sakura), often simply called blossoms (hana) are a common spring kigo.

SAIJIKI AND KIYOSE

Japanese haiku poets often use a Saijiki, a book like a dictionary or almanac for kigo. An entry in a saijiki usually includes a description of the kigo itself, as well as a list of similar or related words, and a few examples of haiku that include that kigo. A kiyose is similar, but con tains only lists of kigo. Modern saijiki and kiyose are divided into the four seasons and New Year, with some containing a further section for seasonless (muki) topics. Each section is divided into a standard set of categories, each containing the relevant kigo. The most com mon categories are: The Season The Earth Humanity Observances

Animals Plants

LIST OF KIGO
This is a list of both Japanese and non-Japanese kigo. If the kigo is a Japanese word, or if there is a Japanese translation in parentheses next to the English kigo, then the kigo can be found in most major Japanese saijiki. [note: An asterisk (*) after the Japanese name for the kigo denotes an external link to a saijiki entry for the kigo with example haiku that is part of the "Japanese haiku: a topical dictionary" website.]

SPRING: 4 FEBRUARY5 MAY

THE SEASON
Spring (haru) - the name of season is a kigo or season word. Other combinations are Spring begins (Haru tatsu), Signs of Spring (haru meku), Sea in the spring (haru no umi), Spring being gone (Yuku haru). Spring higan (, haru higan). February (kisaragi or nigatsu), March (yayoi or sangatsu) and April (uzuki or shigatsu). The third month (sangatsu) in the Japanese calendar is equivalent roughly to the April in the Gre gorian calendar, therefore End of March (sangatsujin) is equal to End of Spring (haru no hate). Warm (atatakashi or nurumu) - all spring - as the weather changes from the cold of Winter, any warming is noticed. Also Water becomes warm (mizu nurumu).

Spring mist or Spring haze (kasumi) - all spring - the daytime haze of Spring. The nighttime haze during Spring that can ob scure the moon is called oboro. Haruichiban, the first strong southerly wind of the Spring is used as a kigo in modern haiku.

THE SKY AND HEAVENS THE EARTH HUMANITY OBSERVANCES

Hanamatsuri (Blossom Festival), Buddhist festival celebrating the birth of Buddha, on 8 April. Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day) Doll Festival and Hina (doll) - a tradi tional Japanese festival for girls on 3 March.

ANIMALS
frogs (kawazu) - all spring (February-April) - noted for their loud singing skylarks (hibari) - all Spring - noted for their songs in flight, swallows (tsubame) mid-spring, twittering (saezuri) - all Spring - the chirping of songbirds uguisu (, Japanese Bush Warbler (sometimes translated as
An Australian frog (kawazu).

Japanese nightingale), Cettia diphone) - early spring - the bird is used as an example of sweet sounds. Uguisu were mentioned in the preface to the Kokin Wakash. It is often associated with ume blossoms and new growth in early Japanese waka and is regarded as a harbinger of spring (, harutsugedori, literary "bird which announces the arrival of Spring").

Whale watching - In different areas the number of whales off the coast peak at different times of the year. For Japan, whales (kujira) are most often seen during the Winter.

PLANTS
ume blossom - early spring sakura (cherry blossoms) and cherry blossom-viewing (hana mi) - late spring (April) - for the Japanese, cherry blossoms are such a common topic that in just mentioning blossoms (hana) in haiku it is assumed they are cherry blossoms. Blossom-viewing is an occasion for partying with friends or coworkers. wildflowers.

SUMMER: 6 MAY7 AUGUST

THE SEASON
dog days midsummer Summer (natsu); other combinations are Summer has come (natsu kinu), End of summer (natsu no hate). Summer holi

days (natsu yasumi) means mainly the school holiday. May (satsuki or gogatsu), June (minazuki or rokugatsu, July (fumizuki or fuzuki) hot (atsushi), hotness (atsusa) and hot day (atsuki hi); also, anything related to the heat, including sweat (ase) and in con temporary haiku, air conditioning (reib)

THE SKY AND HEAVENS

the Pleiades at dawn (subaru) Rainy season (tsuyu) - the Japanese rainy season, usually start ing in mid-June, also rainbow (niji) Smog (sumoggu) Sunset

THE EARTH
summer field or summer meadow (i.e. the abundance of sum mer wildflowers) waterfall (taki)

HUMANITY
nap or siesta (hirune) nudity Summer sports: Surfing, Beach volleyball, Rollerblading &
the A-Bomb dome in Hiroshima,

volleyball, Rollerblading & Skateboarding sushi sunbathing swimming pool

the A-Bomb dome in Hiroshima, near to the ground zero but the construction survived.

OBSERVANCES
A-Bomb Anniversary (6 August) Tango no sekku traditional festi val for boys on 5 May. See Hina matsuri in Spring for the girls' festi val. Festival (matsuri) is applied to summer festivals of Shintoism for purification. Traditionally it meant the festival of Kamo Shrine in Ky oto, however as kigo it can be ap plied to each local Shinto festival.

ANIMALS
cicada (semi) - late summer (July) - known for their cries hototogisu (Little Cuckoo - C. po liocephalis) - all summer (MayJuly) - the hototogisu is a bird in the Cuckoo family noted for its song jellyfish (kurage)

koinobori - ornament of Tango no sekku. Early summer.

The cicada (semi) is a common

jellyfish (kurage) mosquito (ka) snakes (hebi)

The cicada (semi) is a common late summer kigo.

PLANTS
lily lotus flower (hasu or hachisu) orange blossoms sunflower wisteria (fuji), hana tachibana (wild orange blossoms) and iris (ayame or hanashoubu) - early summer (May), water lily (suiren) - mid and late summer.
A sunflower, a typical sign of summer.

AUTUMN: 8 AUGUST6 NOVEMBER

THE SEASON
Autumn (aki); other combinations are Autumn has come (aki kinu), Autumn is ending (aki hatsu), Autumn being gone (yuku aki). August (hazuki or hachigazu), September (nagatsuki or kugat su) and October (jgatsu or kamnazuki). End of September (kugatsujin), End of Autumn (aki no hate).

THE SKY AND HEAVENS

Milky Way (amanogawa. lit. "river of heaven"), because in the autumn it is most visible in Japan. It is associated with Tanabata. moon (tsuki) - all autumn (August-October), and moon-viewing (tsukimi) mid-autumn (September) - the word "moon" by itself is assumed to be a full moon in autumn. Moon-viewing and leafviewing in autumn are common group activities in Japan. Typhoon (taifu or nowaki), thunder (kaminari)

THE EARTH HUMANITY

Scarecrow (kakashi), rice crop ping (inekari) - rice harvest and relevant things are significant for Japanese life.

OBSERVANCES
Tanabata (the festival of the weaver maiden and the herdsman in the Heavenly Court), Grave-Visiting (haka mairi), and Bon Festival (ancestors' spirits come home to share the ceremonial and festival time with descendant family, urabon-e) - all early au tumn (August) - are kigo as well as associated ornaments and activities like small bonfires called mukae-bi (welcome-fire for an cestors' spirits) and folk dancing (bon odori), among other things. Though the date of Tanabata is 7th day of the 7th month of the Japanese calendar, therefore in August of the Gregorian one, to day in many places it is celebrated on 7 July, hence there is a
scarecrow in early autumn paddy field

dispute as to whether Tanabata is much fit to be treated as a Summer kigo.

ANIMALS
Insects (mushi), mainly it implies singing one. Also crickets (krogi) - all autumn (August-October) - noted for the singing of the males.

PLANTS
Nashi pear ( nashi), Chaenomeles (boke no mi), peach (momo), persimmon (kaki), apples (ringo) and grapes (bud) are examples of fruit that are used as autumn kigo. colored leaves (momiji) - late au tumn (October) - a very common topic for haiku along with related topics such as first colored leaves (hatsu momiji) midautumn, shining leaves (teri momiji) late autumn, leaves turn ing color (usumomiji) midautumn, leaves start to fall (momiji katsu chiru) late autumn. Leaf-viewing (momijigari) is a common group activity.
Grapes (bud) are a fruit typically harvested in Autumn

WINTER: 7 NOVEMBER3 FEBRUARY

THE SEASON

Winter (fuyu), using "winter" in a haiku adds a sense of chilliness (literally and figuratively), bleakness, and seclusion to the poem. November (shimotsuki or jichigatsu), December (shiwasu or jnigatsu) and January (mutsuki or ichigatsu) Cold (samushi) and Coldness (samusa).

THE SKY AND HEAVENS

Smog (sumoggu) -inversion layers help concentrate the smog over a city during the winter

THE EARTH HUMANITY

snow-viewing (yukimi) - late winter (January) - a popular group activity in Japan. Also first snow (hatsu yuki) mid winter, snow (yuki) late winter, and ice (kri) late winter. fugu soup (fugujiru), Anglerfish or sea-devil stew (ank nabe), oyster (kaki) - seasonal dishes. Calendar vendor (koyomiuri) - preparation for the new year.

OBSERVANCES
Christmas - this is a modern kigo. It wasn't used in the Edo peri od, when Christianity was forbidden. New Year's Eve (misoka or toshi no yo, literary "The End of year"), and the New Year's Eve party (toshiwasure).

Kan (kan), days from 5 January (or 6) till 4 February (or 5) (liter ally Coldness) - derived originally from the Chinese 24 seasonal periods. Also Daikan (Great Coldness) a day around 20 Janu ary, or Beginning of Kan season (kan no iri, 5 or 6 January).

ANIMALS PLANTS
fallen leaves (ochiba) and dry leaves (kareha) - all winter (No vember-January) - just as colored leaves are a clear sign of Autumn, fallen leaves are a sign of winter.

NEW YEAR
This group of kigo is a modern inven

Fallen leaves (ochiba), a symbol of winter.

tion. Before Japan began using the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the Japanese New Year was at the beginning of Spring.

THE SEASON
Japanese New Year ( shgatsu) * As in many other cul tures, the Japanese New Year is an important time of year for celebrations and there are many activities associated with it that may be mentioned in haiku, including some "firsts": first sun (hatsuhi), first laughter ( hatsuwarai or waraizome), and first calligraphy (kakizome). There is also New Year's Day (ganjitsu). Each day of first week of the new year is treated as kigo, such as

the seventh day of the new year (nanoka, literally just the sev enth day).

THE SKY AND HEAVENS HUMANITY

New Year's Day customs: kadomatsu * (a traditional decoration usually made of pine and bamboo that is placed on the gate or outer doorway), otoshidama (the custom of giving pocket mon ey to children), toso (a ritual mulled sake only drunk on New Year's Day). osechi (traditional Japanese New Year's Day food): zni * (a traditional vegetable broth with mochisticky rice cakes), seven herbs (nanakusa) and rice porridge with seven herbs (nanakusa gayu), eaten in the evening of 7 January.

OBSERVANCES ANIMALS
first sparrow (hatsu-suzume) * - the first sparrow helps wel come the new year.

SEE ALSO
haiku haiku in English culture of Japan

hokku renku renga saijiki season

HELPFUL LISTS OF SPECIES

Birds Lists of birds by region List of Japanese birds: passerines List of Japanese birds: non-passerines

SOURCES
. [Ti tle: "Introductory Saijiki", editor: "no Rinka", Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten ] Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac by William J. Hig ginson, Kodansha International 1996 (An international haiku saijiki with over 1,000 haiku and senryu from poets in 50 coun tries covering 680 seasonal topics) The Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World by William J. Higginson, Kodansha International 1996 (a companion book to Haiku World discussing the development of haiku, and the impor tance of the seasons and kigo to haiku)

tance of the seasons and kigo to haiku)

EXTERNAL LINKS
The five hundred essential Japanese season words Selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto and translated by William J. Higginson and Kris Young Kondo The Traditional Seasons of Japanese Poetry by William J. Hig ginson Japanese Haiku - a Topical Dictionary at the Univ. of Virginia Japanese Text Initiative a work-in-progress based on the Nyumon Saijiki by the Museum of Haiku Literature in Tokyo, most translations by William J. Higginson and Lewis Cook The Yuki Teikei Haiku Season Word List from the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society (Northern California) World Kigo Database Gabi Greve's project supported by the World Haiku Club A Dictionary of Haiku - Classified by Season Words with Tradi tional and Modern Methods by Jane Reichhold Haiku in Twelve Months at the Kiyoshi Memorial Museum (Taka hama Kyoshi) Season words from the Shiki mailing list kukai Spring season words Summer season words Autumn season words Winter season words

Winter season words

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