| season name | meaning | asscociations | aprox. gregorian date |
| Risshun | <E7><AB><8B><E6><98><A5> | Start of spring | Ground thaws, fish appear under ice. | Feb 4 | |
| Usui | <E9><9B><A8><E6><B0><B4> | Rain waters | Snow recedes, mist lingers in the air. | Feb 18 | |
| Keichitsu | <E5><95><93><E8><9F><84> | Emergence of the worms | Bugs surface from hibernation. | Mar 6 | |
| Shunbun | <E6><98><A5><E5><88><86> | Vernal equinox | Sparrows start to nest, cherry blossoms bloom. | Mar 21 | |
| Seimei | <E6><B8><85><E6><98><8E> | Clear and bright | Geese fly north, the first rainbows of the year appear. | Apr 4 | |
| Kok<C5><AB> | <E7><A9><80><E9><9B><A8> | Rain for harvests | Reeds sprout by rivers, rice seedlings grow. | Apr 21 | |
| Rikka | <E7><AB><8B><E5><A4><8F> | Start of summer | Birds and frogs start the songs of summer. | May 6 | |
| Sh<C5><8D>man | <E5><B0><8F><E6><BA><80> | Small blooming | Flowers and plants bloom, wheat ripens. | May 21 | |
| B<C5><8D>shu | <E8><8A><92><E7><A8><AE> | Seeds and cereals | Praying mantises hatch, fireflies come out. Time to seed the soil. | Jun 5 | |
| Geshi | <E5><A4><8F><E8><87><B3> | Reaching summer | Longest days of the year, irises bloom. | Jun 21 | |
| Sh<C5><8D>sho | <E5><B0><8F><E6><9A><91> | Small heat | Warm winds blow, young hawks learn to fly. | Jul 7 | |
| Taisho | <E5><A4><A7><E6><9A><91> | Big heat | Summer heat at its strongest, accompanied by great rains. | Jul 23 | |
| Risshu | <E7><AB><8B><E7><A7><8B> | Start of autumn | Cooler winds blow, thick fogs roll through hills. | Aug 8 | |
| Shosho | <E5><87><A6><E6><9A><91> | Lessening heat | Rice has ripened, the heat of summer, forgotten. | Aug 23 | |
| Hakuro | <E7><99><BD><E9><9C><B2> | White dew | Drops of dew on grass. | Sep 7 | |
| Shubun | <E7><A7><8B><E5><88><86> | Autumnal equinox | Day and night are of equal length. | Sep 23 | |
| Kanro | <E5><AF><92><E9><9C><B2> | Cold dew | Temperatures begin to drop, crickets stop chirping. | Oct 8 | |
| S<C5><8D>k<C5><8D> | <E9><9C><9C><E9><99><8D> | Frosting | The first frosts, maple leaves turn yellow. | Oct 23 | |
| Ritto | <E7><AB><8B><E5><86><AC> | Start of winter | The ground starts to freeze. | Nov 8 | |
| Sh<C5><8D>setsu | <E5><B0><8F><E9><9B><AA> | Small snow | Light snow, the last leaves have fallen from trees. | Nov 23 | |
| Taisetsu | <E5><A4><A7><E9><9B><AA> | Big snow | Cold sets in, bears hibernate. | Dec 8 | |
| T<C5><8D>ji | <E5><86><AC><E8><87><B3> | Winter solstice | Shortest days of the year. | Dec 22 | |
| Sh<C5><8D>kan | <E5><B0><8F><E5><AF><92> | Small cold | Temperatures quickly drop. | Jan 6 | |
| Daikan | <E5><A4><A7><E5><AF><92> | Big cold | Ice thickens on the streams, hens huddle together. | Jan 20 | |
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