Microseason: Swallows Leave

The 45th (of 72) microseason of the year in Japan is Swallows Leave 玄鳥去（つばめさる）. It is the last microseason of the White Dew “Hakuro” solar term. Most of the microseason are five days long, but "Swallows Leave" is six days long. In 2026 it is on from September 17th to 22nd. 

This microseason is named for the departure of the swallows, who have spent spring and summer raising their young under the eaves of homes, barns and roadside rest houses. By mid-September, you can see them gathering on power lines and riverbanks, preparing for their long journey south to warmer regions. And empty nests follow. According to traditional calendars, their leaving marks the symbolic closing of the warm half of the year. The sight of swallows circling in groups before disappearing is one of the season’s most poignant markers.

In farming areas, Swallows Leave is a period for important early-autumn work. You may have already seen farmers harvesting the rice and that will continue through this microseason. Late summer vegetables such as eggplants, cucumbers and peppers still appear, but fields also show signs of autumn crops: taro, sweet potatoes, burdock and early daikon. Normally, the drier air makes it easier to store harvested produce, but this year (2026) we have been having a record amount of rain, with only one full dry day so far this month.

 In supermarkets, the shelves have already shifted to autumn displays. Just like the previous microseason, Wagtails Sing, grapes, pears, figs, early apples, pumpkins, mushrooms, chestnuts, and burdock are center stage. Seasonal wagashi featuring chestnut or sweet potato is on the rise. It is the "season of appetite" as the Japanese say.