Japan's traditional calendar divides the year into 72 micro-seasons, each lasting about five days. Where the four seasons paint in broad strokes, these are the fine brushwork: each one marks a small, observable change in nature, such as the first peach blossoms or the moment frogs begin to sing.
The names draw on weather, plants, animals and sound. For centuries they shaped the poetry, art and gardens of the urban elite, and farmers and fishermen kept using them long after Japan adopted the Western calendar in 1873.
The system is also an invitation to slow down. Breaking the year into smaller pieces makes you notice your surroundings more closely, and reminds you that change is the one constant.
Each city here has its own set of descriptions, written from the weather, wildlife and plants of that place. The dates follow the sun, so they hold true everywhere shown.
Swipe, use the arrows, or tap the timeline to wander through the year. Press Today to return to now.
Revised for Japan in 1685 by the astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai. In some years a period may begin a day earlier or later.
This timepiece was inspired by Mark Hovane's essay "The 72 Japanese micro-seasons" in Kyoto Journal.