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Keichitsu: The Day the Insects Awaken in Japan

The season we call Keichitsu is just around the corner here in Japan. As the weather gradually warms up, it’s the time of year when insects begin to emerge from beneath the earth.

In Japan, we have a beautiful way of perceiving the seasons called Nijushi-sekki, which divides the year into 24 micro-seasons—much finer than the standard four seasons. Today, I’d like to introduce one of these solar terms that arrives in early March: Keichitsu.

This might surprise people overseas, but Keichitsu literally means the "awakening of insects" (or the "working of insects"). It vividly describes the sight of hibernating bugs and frogs finally poking their heads out of the soil as the days grow warmer.

Symbols of Keichitsu include blooming peach blossoms and the Haru-ichiban, the famous first strong, warm breeze of spring. Historically, this season served as a vital signal for farmers to begin their agricultural work for the year. Around this time, you can also see a traditional Japanese pest-control practice called Komo-hazushi, where the protective straw mats wrapped around pine trees during the winter are finally removed.

Of course, when we talk about spring in Japan, cherry blossoms are a must! But spring isn't just about flowers; it's also a fantastic season for food. We get to enjoy delicious, fresh seasonal produce like spring cabbage, new onions, and new potatoes. Wild mountain vegetables (known as sansai), such as fukinotou (butterbur sprouts) and tara-no-me (Aralia sprouts), are also absolutely exquisite right now.

Keichitsu is a delicate, uniquely Japanese way of welcoming spring by noticing the awakening of even the smallest lives in nature.

How about in your country? What signs make you feel that spring has finally arrived?