Hachiju-hachi-ya (the eighty-eighth day after the beginning of spring) |
 Japan used to use a lunar calendar that included some of the elements of the solar calendar. The old calendar divided one solar year into twenty-four portions of equal length in order to precisely indicate the seasons. The twenty-four dividing points between the seasons were known as nijushi-sekki in Japanese, and each of them had its own name. Risshun was one of those 24 dividing points. Risshun is still known as the first day of spring according to the old calendar. The old calendar set more dates and periods in addition to the 24 dividing points in order to appropriately indicate the change of seasons. These dates and periods that include setsubun, nyubai, nihyaku-toka, doyo, and higan were called zassetsu in Japanese. Hachiju-hachi-ya was one of those dates
and periods. Hachiju-hachi-ya fell on the eighty-eighth day after the first
day of spring (risshun). This date falls on the second of May according
to the Gregorian calendar that is currently used. Spring is nearly over
in Japan at this time of the year and summer is coming. It is a beautiful
season full of fresh green leaves and clear skies. It is also the best
season for picking tea. |
| Japanese farmers generally plant rice seedlings in seedbeds around hachiju-hachi-ya. The seedbeds for rice seedlings are called nawashiro in Japanese. They also sow their fields with many different farm products including vegetables and flowers in the same period. This is the standard period, and it is not appropriate for planting seedlings and sowing seeds in some parts of Japan because the climate varies in Japan from the north to the south. |
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| setsubun Setsubun refers to the day before the first day of spring (risshun). Setsubun falls on the 3rd or the 4th of February on the calendar today. |
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nyubai Japan has a rainy season, which is called tsuyu in Japanese, between spring and summer. Nyubai refers to the first day of the rainy season. Nyubai falls around the 10th of June on the calendar today. |
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nihyaku-toka Nihyaku-toka refers to the 210th day after the first day of spring (risshun). Nihyaku-toka falls around the 1st of September on the calendar today. Japan is frequently struck by typhoons around nihyaku-toka. |
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doyo Doyo refers to each of the eighteen-day periods before the first days of summer, fall, winter, and spring. Doyo, however, generally refers to the eighteen-day period before the first day of fall. The first day of fall is called risshu in Japanese, and it falls around the 8th of August on the calendar today. |
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higan Higan refers to the seven-day periods that include the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox in the middle. Higan begins three days before each equinoctial day and lasts for seven days. |
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nawashiro A nawashiro refers to a bed for rice seedlings. When the rice seedlings grow, they are transplanted into the rice paddies. Rice seedlings are usually transplanted in the early summer, and the transplantation is called taue in Japanese. |