Microseason: Rice Ripens

The 42nd microseason of the year is Rice Ripens 禾乃登（kokumono sunawachi minoru). The word grain is often used interchangeably with rice and alternative names in English include "the Grain Begins to Grow" or "Rice is Ready for Harvesting". In Japanese the name is beautifully literal: “禾” refers to grain-bearing plants such as rice and barley, while “登” expresses the act of ripening or bearing fruit. In 2026, the period is from September 2nd to 6th. It is the last microseason of the solar term "Manageable Heat". 

During this period, we are still seeing swinging shifts in the weather, as if Mother Nature herself can't decide yet if its summer or autumn. Today, is hot in the Kanto plain, as was yesterday, but we had a couple of days before that when we didn't even need the air-conditioning. High, streaked cirrus clouds stretch across the sky, giving that familiar sense of height that comes with early autumn. In rural areas, morning mist settles over the paddies, and the scent of rice becomes noticeable on the breeze; a sensory reminder that the season is maturing.

For farmers, "Rice / Grain Ripens" is a time of close observation and quiet tension. This is when the “judging” of the rice begins: checking the grains for their degree of ripening, watching the color shift, and preparing for the earliest harvests of fast‑maturing varieties. They have to watch the skies too as we go deeper into typhoon season. 

In this microseason traditional farming areas often put up scarecrows. I always look forward to their arrival. This microseason also marks a complete end to summer holidays; all children and students are back in school. Even a lot of universities have started their second term.  In the supermarket, we see a growing number of grapes and pears, sweet corn is on the rise too. Fresh edamame, eggplant and okra remain abundant too.