Wabi Sabi and the 72 micro-seasons of Japan

Wabi sabi is a concept from Japanise aethetics which helps us to see beauty in imperfection, appreciate simplicity and accept the transient nature of all things. A lot of wabi sabi is about reconnecting to nature, appreciating the seasons coming and going shows us all too well the impermanence of everything, but in a way that celebrates changes rather than resists them. Wabi Sabi is fundamental to the gentle nature of Japanese people and a world view that guides the way they experience life. ​It's also the way in which I ride my motorcycle.

Photo by Banter Snaps on Unsplash

Every five days, a new season to relish
According to the classical Japanese calendar, there are twenty-four small seasons, each lasting fifteen days and seventy-two micro-seasons lasting around five days. Consider some of the names for these micro-climates: 'Hibernating Insects Surface' or 'Nightingales Sing' or 'Silkworms hatch'. Beautiful imagery. The object of these frequent changes is to use the seasons as a kind of metronome, a call back to the present, to noticing your external environment in exquisite detail and to be reminded of how so much is happening in nature outside under our very noses. And it is truly beautiful and wondrous and poignant. Particularly as it appears to be disappearing so quickly, amphibious wildlife and insect numbers are nose-diving around the planet. One thing is for sure, if we ignore them, they will go away.

Wabi Sabi at work on your ride
I believe riding a motorcycle on longer distances in different seasons and environments automatically brings about a kind of wabi sabi experience. It's impossible to not appreciate what the weather is doing to your ride, be it fine or harsh you are definitely 'in' it, not surrounded by plastic and glass, feeling the ride. The quality of being is very noticeable. The fact that no ride is ever perfect is with us too - we could always have taken that corner better. The fact that nothing lasts - the journey always ends eventually. Yes, there's a lot to be said for the role of wabi sabi in the serious rider's enjoyment of the experience.

So here then, for the curious, are the names of the twenty-four small seasons and seventy-two micro-seasons. Enjoy.

Japan’s 72 Micro-seasons

Risshun (Beginning of spring)
February 4–8 East wind melts the ice
February 9–13 Bush warblers start singing in the mountains
February 14–18 Fish emerge from the ice

Usui (Rainwater)
February 19–23 Rain moistens the soil
February 24–28 Mist starts to linger
March 1–5 Grass sprouts, trees bud

Keichitsu (Insects awaken)
March 6–10 Hibernating insects surface
March 11–15 First peach blossoms
March 16–20 Caterpillars become butterflies

Shunbun (Spring equinox)
March 21–25 Sparrows start to nest
March 26–30 First cherry blossoms
March 31–April 4 Distant thunder

Seimei (Pure and clear)
April 5–9 Swallows return
April 10–14 Wild geese fly north
April 15–19 First rainbows

Kokuu (Grain rains)
April 20–24 First reeds sprout
April 25–29 Last frost, rice seedlings grow
April 30–May 4 Peonies bloom

Rikka (Beginning of summer)
May 5–9 Frogs start singing
May 10–14 Worms surface
May 15–20 Bamboo shoots sprout

Shōman (Lesser ripening)
May 21–25 Silkworms start feasting on mulberry leaves
May 26–30 Benibana sakauSafflowers bloom
May 31–June Wheat ripens and is harvested

Bōshu (Grain beards and seeds)
June 6–10 Praying mantises hatch
June 11–15 Rotten grass becomes fireflies
June 16–20 Plums turn yellow

Geshi (Summer solstice)
June 21–26 Self-heal withers
June 27–July 1 Irises bloom
July 2–6 Crow-dipper sprouts

Shōsho (Lesser heat)
July 7–11 Warm winds blow
July 12–16 First lotus blossoms
July 17–22 Hawks learn to fly

Taisho (Greater heat)
July 23–28 Paulownia trees produce seeds
July 29–August Earth is damp, air is humid
August 3–7 Great rains sometimes fall

Risshū (Beginning of autumn)
August 8–12 Cool winds blow
August 13–17 Evening cicadas sing
August 18–22 Thick fog descends

Shosho (Manageable heat)
August 23–27 Cotton flowers bloom
August 28–September 1 Heat starts to die down
September 2–7 Rice ripens

Hakuro (White dew)
September 8–12 Dew glistens white on grass
September 13–17 Wagtails sing
September 18–22 Swallows leave

Shūbun (Autumn equinox)
September 23–27 Thunder ceases
September 28–October 2 Insects hole up underground
October 3–7 Farmers drain fields

Kanro (Cold dew)
October 8–12 Wild geese return
October 13–17 Chrysanthemums bloom
October 18–22 Crickets chirp around the door

Sōkō (Frost falls)
October 23–27 First frost
October 28–November 1 Light rains sometimes fall
November 2–6 Maple leaves and ivy turn yellow

Rittō (Beginning of winter)
November 7–11 Camellias bloom
November 12–16 Land starts to freeze
November 17–21 Daffodils bloom

Shōsetsu (Lesser snow)
November 22–26 Rainbows hide
November 27–December 1 North wind blows the leaves from the trees
December 2–6 Citrus tree leaves start to turn yellow

Taisetsu (Greater snow)
December 7–11 Cold sets in, winter begins
December 12–16 Bears start hibernating in their dens
December 17–21 Salmons gather and swim upstream

Tōji (Winter solstice)
December 22–26 Self-heal sprouts
December 27–31 Deer shed antlers
January 1–4 Wheat sprouts under snow

Shōkan (Lesser cold)
January 5–9 Parsley flourishes
January 10–14 Springs thaw
January 15–19 Pheasants start to call

Daikan (Greater cold)
January 20–24 Butterburs bud
January 25–29 Ice thickens on streams
January 30–February 3 Hens start laying eggs

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Nothing lasts. Nothing is finished. Nothing is perfect. - Wabi Sabi.