Mist starts to linger

Today, February 24th, is the start of the fifth micro season of the year and the second of "Usui", literally rainwater, solar term, which is the second solar term of the year. In Japanese it is called "Kasumi hajimete tanabiku" (霞始靆), which is often translated into Mist starts to linger. "Fog starts to float" is another common translation.

It does quite blow my mind how eerily accurate the micro seasons are. I was reminded of this last night, when there was a fog notification announced for my area of Saitama Prefecture! We generally don't get a lot of fog or mist in my part of Saitama, but we have been camping at this time of year in the mountain areas of the prefecture, where fog is more common. The photo in this post was taken at Chichibu Highland Ranch.

During this micro season, there is a shift from crisp winter air to moist, mild spring air. Mountains and distant landscapes start to look softened, almost painted in watercolor. The plum blossoms are in bloom and the early cherry varieties begin to open. Birds like mejiro and hiyodori become more active. As the mist begins to linger, the world edges a little closer to spring.