Risshun (first day of spring) 2015/02/04
In Japan, there is a traditional calendar of 24 seasonal divisions based on annual solar movement. Summer and winter solstice and also spring and autumn equinox are parts of those divisions. First days of 4 seasons are also the parts of them. This year, February 4th falls on this first day of spring.
Today it is fine and also as warm as if spring has come. However weather forecast says a strong cold air mass is approaching to Japanese archipelago and it will snow almost all parts of Japan tomorrow.
Averagely the second half of January and the first half of February has the lowest temperature throughout a year and it is too early to say “spring has come” in early February.
Nevertheless we like to take a seasonal change in advance. Actually we can find lots of spring signs such as blooms of Japanese apricot and cherry in some parts of Japan, quiet appearance of butterbur sprout and so on.
In Tokyo, the sun set 16:28 in Dec.8th, while it will set 17:13 this evening. The days have got much longer already. We can enjoy the burst of spring very soon.
butterbur sprout with snow
