暮らしの図鑑 暦のことば | The Illustrated Guide to Daily Living: Beautiful Words of the Calendar

Title: 暮らしの図鑑　暦のことば 月の暦×二十四節気と七十二候の基礎知識×１２カ月の風物
Authors: 山下景子 著
Pages: 200P
Published At: December, 2025
Description:
Even amid busy days, discover the beauty of seasonal rhythms through the lunar calendar and celestial movements. The traditional lunisolar calendar (太陰太陽暦) marks dates by the moon's phases while using the twenty-four solar terms (二十四節気) as seasonal guideposts. Though Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar after the Meiji era, the old calendar remains woven into countless customs and traditions. The twenty-four solar terms divide the year into roughly fifteen-day periods, each represented by two Chinese characters—terms like "Risshun" (Start of Spring), "Shunbun" (Spring Equinox), "Geshi" (Summer Solstice), and "Toji" (Winter Solstice) that still resonate today. The seventy-two micro-seasons (七十二候) further subdivide these terms into poetic descriptions like "Momo Hajimete Saku" (Peach Blossoms Begin to Bloom) and "Kaminari Sunawachi Koe wo Hatsu" (Thunder Begins to Sound). This book introduces "words of the calendar" that help you feel the turning seasons and find peace amid life's rush. Chapter One features lunar photographs alongside terms describing the moon's phases—"Moon's Sword," "Slender Moon," "White Moon," and others. Chapter Two covers the twenty-four solar terms and seventy-two micro-seasons, while Chapter Three explores monthly observances, customs, plants, and animals encountered in daily life. Includes elegant traditional Japanese month names, foundational calendar knowledge, and practical ideas for weaving the calendar and seasons into your everyday routine. As climate change shifts natural rhythms and seasonal awareness fades, this book invites you to notice and cherish the subtle seasonal transitions often overlooked in daily life. The moon's phases remain constant—an eternal connection to the seasonal sensibilities and emotions our ancestors felt. Even during hectic days of work, household tasks, and childcare, a glimpse of the moon's phases or seasonal shifts can soften your heart and refresh your spirit. Discover the rich and beautiful "words of the calendar" and reconnect with the natural world and the seasons that cycle around you. Author: Keiko Yamashita, born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. After graduating from Mukogawa Women's Junior College's Japanese Literature program, she pursued songwriting and won numerous awards including top honors at the Hokkaido Northern Praise Contest and Nagoya My Song Competition. Her debut book "Beautiful Japanese for Beautiful People" (Gentosha) became a bestseller exceeding 260,000 copies. Other works include "Flower Japanese" (Gentosha), "Words of Happiness" (Takarajima), "Beautiful Japanese to Use with Loved Ones" (Yamato Shobo), and "Seasonal Words for Letters: 365 Days" (Asahi Shimbun Publishing).

You might also like:

手紙にそえる季節の言葉365日
365 Days of Seasonal Words to Accompany Your Letters

Add a warm touch to your letters with poetic seasonal words for every single day.

おうちで楽しむにほんの行事
Enjoying Japanese Seasonal Events and Traditions at Home

Bring traditional seasonal events into your modern home with sweet illustrations and simple ideas.