Seasons in Japanese: A Guide to the Four Seasons - Busuu (2024)

Now that you know how to refer to the seasons in Japanese, it’s time to explore each season in more detail.

Spring (haru): Sakura season in Japanese

What comes to your mind when you think of the Japanese spring?

It’s no surprise if the first thing that comes to mind is the cherry blossoms, or sakura (さくら), right? It’s probably safe to say that everyone has seen some sort of iconic view of the blooming of cherry blossoms, whether in a movie, magazine or on social media. The word sakura is also one of the well-known words for non-Japanese. The Japanese cherry blossom season is surely something special for us.

But why are Japanese so fanatical about sakura (さくら)? Aside from their beauty, cherry blossoms symbolize new beginnings. After the cold winter, the blooming of beautiful cherry blossoms is a welcoming signal of the arrival of the most anticipated season.

The school year and business year in Japan start in April, and thus sakura season in Japan also marks a ‘new year’ in Japan. If we look deep into the heart and soul of Japanese people, cherry blossoms also symbolize the uncertain or temporary nature of life, as cherry blossoms only last a week or two. We appreciate its blooming so much more when we recognize how nothing is permanent or how loss is unavoidable. Quite poetic, right?

Japanese people tend to go on hanami with family and friends – hanami literally translates to ‘flower-watching.’ So when the sakura are blooming, you will find many people in parks, enjoying the view of the sakura alongside their family and friends.

Viewing cherry blossoms at night, called Yozakura ( よざくら ), can be another way of enjoying the season, as the view of whitish-pink petals lighting up in the dark night is magical.

Oh, and we can’t forget about the ‘sakura forecast’ either, called sakura yosō ( さくらよそう ). The ‘sakura forecast’ will tell you the timing of the ‘cherry blossom front’ known as sakura zensen ( さくらぜんせん ). This is the movement of the sakura from the south to north, indicating in which areas we can enjoy the view of the cherry blossoms.

Although cherry blossoms may get most of the attention during this season, we also have a special doll festival called hinamatsuri ( ひなまつり ). This takes place on the third of March, celebrating the growth of girls by displaying dolls called hinaningyō ( ひなにんぎょう ) and having the traditional spring treat, sakura mochi ( さくらもち ).

Can you feel the exciting vibe of the spring season in Japan? Below is a quick checklist of vocabulary for spring.