List of kigo

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.

Cherry trees from Japan around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.
Cherry blossoms (sakura), often simply called blossoms (hana) are a common spring kigo.

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 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, mid-, and late periods. For spring, these would be:

Early spring: 4 February—5 March (February)
Mid-spring: 6 March—4 April (March)
Late spring: 5 April—5 May (April)

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

Observances

Animals

Plants

Summer: 6 May—7 August

The season

The sky and heavens

The earth

the A-Bomb dome in Hiroshima, near to the ground zero but the construction survived.

Humanity

Observances

koinobori - ornament of Tango no sekku. Early summer.

Animals

The cicada (semi) is a common late summer kigo.

Plants

A sunflower, a typical sign of summer.

Autumn: 8 August—6 November

The season

The sky and heavens

Humanity

scarecrow in early autumn paddy field

Observances

Animals

Plants

Grapes (budō) are a fruit typically harvested in autumn

Winter: 7 November—3 February

The season

The sky and heavens

Humanity

Observances

Plants

Fallen leaves (ochiba), a symbol of winter.

New Year

This group of kigo is a modern invention. Before Japan began using the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the Japanese New Year was at the beginning of spring.

The season

Humanity

Animals

See also

Helpful lists of species

Birds

Sources

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