季語一覧
Seasonal Greetings List is a free web tool to find month-by-month greeting expressions for business documents, thank-you letters, and correspondence. Includes appropriate seasonal greetings and examples for early, mid, and late periods of each month.
What You Can Do
The Seasonal Greetings & Kigo Tool helps you find appropriate seasonal greetings by selecting month and period. Perfect for opening business emails and beginning letters or greeting cards. Provides authentic expressions based on the 24 solar terms and haiku seasonal words (kigo).
- ✅ Search by Month & Period: Find appropriate greetings for Jan-Dec, early/mid/late periods
- ✅ 24 Solar Terms: Based on Risshun, Shunbun, Geshi, and other seasonal milestones
- ✅ Formal & Casual Options: From formal "~no kō" phrases to softer expressions
Search seasonal greetings for letters and emails by month and period. Essential for Japanese business correspondence and seasonal greeting cards.
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💼 Use Cases
- Business email openings - Select polite seasonal expressions
- Letter and greeting card openings - Find appropriate greetings by month and period
- Customer correspondence - When formal seasonal greetings are needed
- Thank you and apology letters - Show courtesy with proper seasonal greetings
- Seasonal writing - Add Japanese cultural touch to blogs and social media
Seasonal Greetings for 1
January (Mutsuki)
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How to Use
📌 What are Seasonal Greetings?
Seasonal greetings (jikō no aisatsu) are phrases used at the beginning of letters to express seasonal awareness. They follow formal opening words like "haikei."
✍️ Usage Examples
Business Letter:
Haikei, shinryoku no kō (In this season of fresh greenery), we hope your company is flourishing.
Casual Letter:
As the fresh greenery dazzles the eyes, we hope you are doing well.
📅 Period Divisions & Usage
Divided into early (1-10), mid (11-20), and late (21-end) periods. You may use greetings from adjacent periods based on actual seasonal conditions. Useful for business documents, greeting cards, and thank you letters.
📝 Notes
- Seasonal conditions may vary by region
- Choose appropriate expressions if actual weather differs significantly
- "~no kō" is formal; "~no kisetsu" (season of ~) is softer
🌸 The 24 Solar Terms & Japanese Seasons
What are the 24 Solar Terms?
The 24 Solar Terms (Nijūshi Sekki) are a traditional East Asian method of dividing the year into 24 periods based on the sun's position. Originating in ancient China, Japan adopted this system over 2,000 years ago for agricultural timing and seasonal expression. This forms the foundation of seasonal greetings.
The 24 Terms and Traditional Calendar
The 24 solar terms are distributed throughout the year, directly influencing seasonal greetings:
- Shunbun (Spring Equinox, ~March 20): Day and night are equal. Greetings like "Shunbun no kō" are used.
- Seimei (Clear and Bright, ~April 4): Flowers bloom and plants are fresh. "Seimei no kō" marks the fresh green season.
- Rikka (Start of Summer, ~May 5): Transition from spring to summer. Expressions like "Shoka no kō" (early summer) emerge.
- Geshi (Summer Solstice, ~June 21): Longest day. "Geshi no kō" expresses peak summer.
- Risshū (Start of Autumn, ~August 7): Autumn begins on the calendar. Shift to autumn greetings like "Shūryō no kō."
- Tōji (Winter Solstice, ~December 21): Shortest day. "Tōji no kō" expresses deep winter.
Using Solar Terms in Greetings
For precise correspondence, match solar terms with the current date to select more accurate seasonal greetings. For example, from Risshun (~Feb 4) to Seimei (~Apr 4), use "spring" greetings; from Seimei to Rikka (~May 5), transition to "early summer" expressions.
🍂 Haiku Kigo & Seasonal Expression
What is Kigo?
Kigo (seasonal words) are specific words used in haiku to express the season. Traditional haiku must contain one kigo, and these seasonal words significantly influence letter greetings. Kigo convey not just the season, but also its emotional quality and cultural context.
Categories and Examples
Kigo are classified into categories, similar to seasonal greetings:
- Spring Kigo: "plum fragrance," "new buds," "spring breeze," "rapeseed flowers," "butterflies," "returning geese." The greeting "Ume kaoru kō" (season of plum fragrance) derives from "ume" (plum).
- Summer Kigo: "fresh greenery," "cicadas," "coolness," "morning glories," "summer festivals," "heat." "Shinryoku no kō" uses the kigo "shinryoku" (fresh greenery).
- Autumn Kigo: "autumn leaves," "autumn wind," "moon," "insect voices," "autumn rain," "rice ears." "Shūryō no kō" comes from "shūryō" (autumn coolness).
- Winter Kigo: "snow," "frost," "cold," "winter wind," "winter moon," "withered leaves." "Genkan no kō" uses "genkan" (severe cold).
Literary Value of Kigo
Incorporating kigo into seasonal greetings allows you to express seasonal poetry beyond mere temporal information. Compare "It's March" with "Ume kaoru kō" (season of plum fragrance)—the latter conveys seasonal beauty and cultural depth. Even in business correspondence, kigo-based greetings demonstrate the sender's cultural literacy and consideration.
💪 Seasonal Transitions & Health
Impact of Seasonal Changes on Health
Japanese culture has long recognized "seasonal ailments" that occur during seasonal transitions, which is why seasonal greetings often include health wishes. Phrases like "Please take care of yourself" reflect medical awareness of seasonal health risks.
Seasonal Transitions & Precautions
- Spring (March-May): Intense temperature fluctuations can disrupt the autonomic nervous system. "Beware of temperature-difference fatigue in spring" reflects the physical burden. Greetings asking "how are you?" show this awareness.
- Early Summer (May-June): Rainy season brings humidity-related "rainy season ailments." "Shoka no kō" (early summer greeting) acknowledges this seasonal discomfort.
- Autumn (September-November): Autumn rains bring temperature drops and rapid summer-to-winter transition. "Shūryō no kō" expresses this abrupt change, with implicit health wishes.
- Winter (December-February): Cold and dry conditions increase infections like influenza. "Genkan no kō" (severe cold greeting) shows awareness of these health risks.
General Health Measures for Seasonal Changes
- Clothing Adjustment: Layer clothing to adapt to temperature changes.
- Quality Sleep: Regular sleep is crucial as autonomic nerves are vulnerable during transitions.
- Hydration: Address different dehydration risks (sweat in spring/summer, dryness in autumn/winter).
- Nutritional Balance: Consume seasonal foods to help your body adapt.
Seasonal greetings express not only seasonal beauty but also embody Japanese cultural values of caring for others' health.
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