Insects awaken

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Insects awaken (keichitsu)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Mid-Spring
***** Category: Season

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Explanation

March 5/6
This is one of the 24 special points of the seasons in the Asian Calendar.

On this day, the insects and other hibernating creatures wake up and come out, for example frogs, snakes and grubs. So it is not only insects, but all kinds of animals that wake up. It is finally getting warm enough to start a new circle of life.

insects awaken, insects come out, bugs come out, bugs wake up, insects appear again, insects stir
keichitsu 啓蟄 (けいちつ) 驚蟄（けいちつ）




chitchuu 蟄虫 insects hibernating in the ground



source :　thyvikings.cool.coocan.jp

sumogorimushi to o hiraku 蟄虫啓戸 (すもごりむし とを ひらく)
hibernating insects open the door

..... Calendar Systems, Asian Lunar Calendar, 12 Zodiac Animals, 24 Seasons

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Today, close to the day insects are coming out, the mats around the trees of many parks in Western Japan were taken off and burned. This is an annual event which attracts many tourists, called "komoyaki こも焼き".

Here we see the famous park in Tsuyama town, close to my home in Okayama prefecture. And as if on clue, I saw my first ladybug and a grasshopper today in my own garden!

Gabi Greve, March 5, 2008


Mats are put around the trees in October

This is a preparation for winter, to make sure the insects do no harm to the tree itself and can hibernate between the bark and the mat. This event usually takes place on another one of the 24 seasonal turning points, around 23/ 24 of october, called "Frost descends", see below.
komo maki　こも巻き　wrapping komo mats around the pines in parks


In spring, these mats are taken off and burned.





© Photo : Sanyo Shinbun


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

keichitsu ya yooji no gotoku ashi narashi

awakening spring;
like a toddler, the insect
learns about legs

abe midorijo (1886-1980)
Tr. Michael Haldane


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啓蟄のひとり児ひとりよちよちと
keichitsu no hitori go hitori yochiyochi to

on the day insects wake up
this one baby starts
to toddle around

Iida Dakotsu
Tr. Gabi Greve

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天気地気啓蟄の日となりにけり
ten-ki chi-ki keichitsu no hi to narinikeri

Above ground and below ground the air is ready for keichitsu.

Ishii Rogetsu (1873-1928) 石井露月
Haiku poet from Akita, student of Masaoka Shiki
Tr. Shaun McCabe
(from "Chado: The Way of Tea," by Sasaki Sanmi)

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Check out more Japanese haiku about keichitsu
Gendai Haiku Database

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Related words




***** frost descends, sookoo 霜降 そうこう
sookoo no setsu 霜降の節（そうこうのせつ）
kigo for late autumn
also read: shimo ori

*** "frost descending month", shimo furi zuki
霜降月（しもふりづき）
December
kigo for mid-winter
shimofuri



***** Groundhog Day North America, Europe
This day is a bit similar to the awakening of the animals in Japan.


***** March (sangatsu　三月)


. . . . SPRING - the complete SAIJIKI

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