List of kigo explained

This is a list of kigo, which are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season in Japanese poetry. They provide an economy 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 solstices and equinoxes at the middle of a season. The traditional and contemporary months are approximately one month apart from each other, with the traditional New Year falling between late January and early February. The traditional Japanese seasons are:

Spring: 4 February – 5 May

Summer: 6 May – 7 August

Autumn: 8 August – 6 November

Winter: 7 November – 3 February

For kigo, each season is then divided into early (初), mid- (仲), and late (晩) periods. For spring, these would be:

Early spring: 4 February – 5 March (February・First lunar month)

Mid-spring: 6 March – 4 April (March・Second lunar month)

Late spring: 5 April – 5 May (April・Third lunar month)

People have lots of special occasions and these are usually one of the most important.

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 contains 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 common categories are:

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 February – 5 May

The season

all spring

early spring (February・First lunar month)

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

The sky and heavens

all spring

early spring (February・First lunar month)

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

The earth

all spring

early spring (February・First lunar month)

mid-spring (March・Second lunar month)

late spring (April・Third lunar month)

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

Summer: 6 May – 7 August

The season

The sky and heavens

The earth

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

Autumn: 8 August – 6 November

The season

The sky and heavens

The earth

Humanity

Observances

The traditional date of Tanabata is 7th day of the 7th month of the Japanese calendar, which falls in early Autumn. The modern use of the Gregorian one has moved the observance to 7 July, which has resulted in a dispute as to whether Tanabata should be treated as a summer kigo.

Animals

Plants

Winter: 7 November – 3 February

The season

The sky and heavens

The earth

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants

New Year

As in many other cultures, 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. Before Japan began using the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the Japanese New Year was at the beginning of spring. Many of these terms reflect the traditional calendar system.

The season

The sky and heavens

Humanity

Observances

Animals

Plants