Bush warblers begin to sing

Today, February 9th, marks the beginning of the second micro season of the year. It is called 黄鶯睍睆 (kōō kankan) which means "Yellow warbler sings melodiously," but it is a poetic description. What it actually means is the season when the bush warblers (begin to) sing. Some people add "in the mountains" or "in the countryside" to this accepted translation.

"Bush warblers begin to sing" is not only the second micro season of the year, but also the second micro season of the first solar term of the year, Risshun. Risshun marks a period when winter becomes spring. Each micro season is only five days long. So "bush warblers begin to sing" is only until February 13th. A bush warbler in Japanese is "uguisu" 鶯 and already we are seeing them, and hearing them, around the Kanto plain (Greater Tokyo area).

In Japan they say that at this time of year you hear the uguisu long before you see it. Their famous call, hō‑hoke‑kyo, is considered a true sound of spring. During this micro‑season, the birds are still practicing, so their early calls are often clumsy and uneven. There’s even a word for this: 初音 (hatsune) — “the first song of the year.”