Microseason: Light Rains Sometimes Fall

As October draws to a close, Japan enters the 53rd microseason of the traditional seventy-two seasonal calendar: Light Rains Sometimes Fall 霎時施 (Kosame Tokidoki Furu). Falling within the solar term Sōkō (霜降, "Frost Descent"), this brief period marks a time when gentle showers pass across the landscape as autumn deepens and winter quietly approaches. It lasts for just a few days, typically from around October 28th / 29th to November 2nd.

The name Kosame Tokidoki Furu literally means "light rains sometimes fall." The character kosame (小雨) refers to a fine, gentle rain, while the season is often associated with shigure, the passing showers that appear and disappear suddenly during late autumn. These brief rains have long been admired in Japanese poetry and literature, where they evoke a sense of quiet beauty and the fleeting nature of the changing seasons.

For generations, this period signalled that winter was not far away. Farmers used the cooling temperatures and increasing showers as a reminder to complete autumn harvesting and prepare fields for the colder months ahead. The year's first shigure was traditionally seen as nature's announcement that both people and animals should begin their winter preparations. Each passing shower brought slightly cooler weather, gradually transforming the landscape from autumn into winter.

Nature is particularly beautiful during Kosame Tokidoki Furu with rain-darkened leaves and trees with vibrant autumn colors. On clear days between the showers, the air feels crisp and remarkably transparent. Seasonal produce such as persimmons, mandarins, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, and late-harvest vegetables are widely enjoyed at this time. Traditional festivals are also abundant and, between the seasonal celebrations, spectacular scenery and countless autumn activities, there is a special atmosphere in the air.