Microseason: Thunder Renders a Roar

SPRING

SPRING EQUINOX

THUNDER RENDERS A ROAR

30 March - 3 April

Kaminari, thunder, is a homonym for the roar of the gods. With Spring thunder the mountain god descends to watch over rice fields, ensuring a bountiful harvest. We say that “a year with many thunderstorms will be a year of abundant harvest.” Depicted as an ogre spirit striking drums that he carries on his back to produce thunder, Raijin, the thunder god is a classic figure in Japanese mythology.

Spring thunderstorms are mostly caused by the passage of cold fronts, sometimes bringing hail or even snow. Just when we start to feel the warmth of Spring, the temperatures remains unpredictable. Whilst thunderstorms are more common in Summer, Spring thunder differs in that it is not as intense, often consisting of just one or two rumbles before ceasing. Weather changes can be exhausting, but they are also proof that the seasons are steadily progressing.

It is a transitional season. From late March to early April, sudden dark clouds lead to flashes of lightning in the distance, finishing with a deep rumble that echoes across the sky. The rain that follows nourishes the fields and farmlands.

The agricultural calendar and seasonal traditions have been closely linked. For farming communities, the yearly cycle revolves around rice cultivation. Thunder begins to sound with the Spring Equinox and falls silent with the Autumn Equinox. Coinciding with rice growth.

White washi paper shidé, often found decorating shrines along with shiménawa rice straw ropes amulets, pay homage to thunder and its importance to our annual bounty.

雷　　kaminari, thunder is usually written as rain + rice paddy

稲妻　inazuma, lightening is usually written as rice plant + spouse

We often celebrate the season as the Spring of Sound. Leading our ears to the melting of snow, movement of avalanches, swelling rivers fed by thawed ice, birdsong, and other animal sounds as they awaken from Winter slumber. Having remained silent through Winter, thunder also joins the chorus of seasonal sounds.

Photo credit: Orihashi Shoten