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[For General Readers] List of Summer Kigo: Evocative Everyday Words of Summer

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I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

Have you ever struggled to come up with the right seasonal word when composing a haiku? Summer in particular is a season where it’s easy to get confused, since there are so many symbols and traditions.

A fun summer vacation, heat that won’t stop the sweat, refreshing foods…

In fact, hints for summer kigo are everywhere in everyday scenes.

In this article, we introduce summer kigo for general use.

We’ve gathered many words that are easy for beginner haiku poets to incorporate.

When a summer scene makes you want to write a verse, please refer to the kigo we’ve introduced.

[For General Readers] List of Summer Kigo: Evocative Everyday Words of Summer (11–20)

cicada shellNEW!

Utsusemi. (Various haiku)

cicada shellNEW!

One of the summer seasonal words, “utsusemi,” refers to the shed cicada shells you see on summer trees and in the grass.

The small shells clinging to branches look like tiny treasures someone quietly left behind, evoking the heat of summer and the brilliance of life.

On quiet mornings or at dusk, when you find a shell swaying in the breeze, it brings back the cicadas’ cries and the sun’s heat, letting you feel the passing of the seasons.

By picturing the cicada that lived its brief life to the fullest, take in the vigor, transience, and emotion of nature in summer.

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In conclusion

General summer season words are all expressions that instantly evoke scenes of summer in Japan. As you learn each term, the familiar sights of summer should appear a bit fresher. By all means, try composing your own summer scenes and memories using any season words that catch your interest.