Microseason: Insects Open the Door

SPRING

INSECTS AWAKEN

INSECTS OPEN THE DOOR

5 - 9 March

The term "insect” or “mushi” did not always refer to bugs alone, but small hibernating creatures of all types like reptiles and amphibians which include snakes, lizards, and frogs that are dormant through Winter. Still drowsy from their deep slumber of nearly six months, critters begin to crawl out from within the earth again.

“Mushi” has long included references to snakes, such as mamushi, pit viper snake, suggesting that snakes were a fine example of “insect”. Snakes were revered as sacred creatures, appearing in legends across the Japanese islands.

Kaeru, frog in Japanese, is a homonym for “return”. Thus frogs are leveraged as a symbol of returning home safely, money returning exponentially, inviting prosperity, summoning youthfulness.

Insects Awaken is the sub-season that marks the beginning of annual agricultural work. Koto Hajimé, or Work Commences, is 8th February in the traditional calendar, which corresponds to the Insects Awaken sub-season in the Georgian calendar we use today. Agricultural work begins now, continues through harvest season, and concludes with Koto Osamé, or Work Concludes, in December. This cycle has long been a fundamental rhythm of Japan, in farming and beyond.

Photo credit: Tokyo Zoological Park Society