Right on Cue: A Cricket at My Door

This morning, I was delighted to find a large green cricket-like visitor clinging to my amido screen. The sight immediately made me think of the current microseason, Crickets Near the Door (蟋蟀在戸), and I couldn't help but smile at how this visit is right on cue! 

One of the reasons I enjoy learning about Japan's seventy-two microseasons is that they are uncannily accurate. Rather than being just traditional seasonal markers or poetic expressions, they reflect what is truly going on in nature. Seeing this unexpected morning guest on my screen door made the microseason feel a little more tangible.

Another thing I love about following the microseasons is that they encourage me to pay attention to small seasonal changes that might otherwise go unnoticed. Finding this fellow resting by the door felt like nature's way of confirming that the calendar's observation is still as relevant today as they were centuries ago.