Lovely senior life

Brain training with spring kigo! A collection of ideas for common words you can use in haiku and conversation

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

When you feel the arrival of spring, certain seasonal words naturally slip off the tongue, don’t they? The “seasonal words of spring,” which can be casually woven into haiku, letters, and everyday conversation, are filled with a uniquely Japanese sense of beauty.

In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of commonly used spring kigo.

From familiar expressions to surprising discoveries that make you think, “Is that a seasonal word too?”, you’ll find plenty of hints for savoring the season.

Try incorporating them into your daily life.

Brain training with spring kigo! A collection of ideas for common words you can use in haiku and conversation (11–20)

Insects AwakenNEW!

"Keichitsu" Large-Print Haiku [Spring Seasonal Word]

Insects AwakenNEW!

It is a term that describes the time when insects that have been hibernating poke their heads out of the earth, signaling the arrival of spring.

It is one of the 24 solar terms and is considered a major seasonal milestone marking the beginning of spring on the calendar.

Although the cold lingers, the sunlight and the warmth of the soil gradually increase, and you can sense signs of nature stirring.

In haiku, it is often used to depict spring’s awakening, the breath of life, and the shifting of the seasons.

If you use it while picturing the warmth of the soil and the small lives emerging from underground, the feeling of spring’s arrival will naturally spread.

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Spring waterNEW!

“Spring Water” Large-Print Haiku [Spring Seasonal Word]

Spring waterNEW!

It is a word that refers to the pure, gentle water that flows with snowmelt and spring rain.

The water running through rivers, streams, and fields sheds the cold and stillness of winter, evoking the breath of life in spring.

Its clear, silken flow conveys nature’s awakening and the beginning of a new season.

In haiku, it is often used to depict the arrival of spring, the renewal of life, and serene, pristine scenes.

When used while imagining the light reflected on the river’s surface or the sound of water carrying spring’s hush, a distinctly springlike landscape naturally unfolds.

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spring middayNEW!

Haiku and the season word “spring midday” [spring season word]

spring middayNEW!

“Shunchū” (spring noon) refers to a gentle time in early spring days when winter’s chill softens and tender, warm sunlight pours down.

The air carries spring’s uniquely mild brightness; grasses and flowers along the roadside begin to sprout here and there, and stepping outside lets you feel the breath of nature in this seasonal moment.

In haiku, it is often used to depict the gentle spring light, the midday quiet, and the shifts in people’s lives and in nature.

If you use it while envisioning sunlit plants and flowers and a faintly warm breeze, a calm, tender scene of a spring day naturally unfolds.

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Spring DawnNEW!

Haiku and the seasonal word “Shungyō (spring dawn)” [spring seasonal word]

Spring DawnNEW!

A word that evokes the dawn of spring—especially the gentle light and air of a morning when winter’s chill has softened.

In still towns and open fields, the faint sounds of birdsong and the wind echo softly, conveying the calm of the moment when a new day begins slowly.

In haiku, it is often used to depict the arrival of spring, the awakening of nature, and the fresh yet quiet scenes of morning.

Even in everyday conversation, adding it can convey the season’s tenderness and tranquil presence.

Use it while imagining the morning light streaming through a window and the sounds of nature waking, and feel the gentle time of a spring morning.

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Flower rainNEW!

Haiku and the seasonal word “Hana no Ame” [Spring seasonal word]

Flower rainNEW!

It is a word that describes the gentle rain that falls as if scattering spring blossoms like cherry and plum.

The characteristically light spring drizzle washes away winter’s dry air and brings life-giving moisture to flowers and greenery.

The sight of petals struck by that rain fluttering down feels both fleeting and beautiful, evoking a momentary scene of spring.

In haiku, it is often used to express the shifting spring landscape, as well as ephemerality and tenderness.

When you use it while imagining the sound of rain on petals and the softly moistened scenery, a quiet, gentle spring scene naturally unfolds.

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In conclusion

Spring kigo—seasonal words—are filled with expressions that let us sense the shifting seasons in everyday moments.

If you weave them into haiku, letters, or daily conversation, an ordinary day might become just a touch more colorful.

Find your favorite spring kigo and enjoy expressing yourself in your own way.