The 72 Seasons - July

In Japan, there are 72 subdivisions seasons called the shichijuni kou. The 72 seasons are named after the birds, insects, plants, and weather of each change in nature every five days.

• July 2–6                  半夏生       Hange shōzu (Crow-Dipper Sprouts)
• July 7–11                  温風至       Atsukaze itaru (Warm Winds Blow)
• July 12–16                蓮始開       Hasu hajimete hiraku (First Lotus Blossoms)
• July 17–22                鷹乃学習    Taka sunawachi waza o narau (Hawks Learn to Fly)
• July 23–28               桐始結花    Kiri hajimete hana o musubu (Paulownia Trees Produce Seeds)
• July 29–August 2      土潤溽暑    Tsuchi uruōte mushi atsushi (Earth is Damp, Air is Humid)

From July, warm winds from the southern area start to blow and the days become hot and humid. The heat will be increasing day by day.

When the plum rain season ends, a beautiful Milky Way can be seen, Tanabata is the night of July 7, when Orihime and Hikoboshi cross the Milky Way and meet only once a year. People write their wishes on tanzaku and hang them on bamboo branches

At this time, the earth is damp, the air is humid, and some summer plants have started. A water loving plant called “hangesho” starts to turn half-white, just as Geisha artists paint their faces with white makeup in Gion, Kyoto. In the pond, the "pure heart" and "sacred" lotuses slowly open their buds and begin to bloom with grace and purity. Paulownia bloom in early summer with light purple bell-shaped flowers and now, they start to bear egg-shaped fruits.

半夏生 Hange shōzu (Crow-dipper Sprouts)

温風至 Atsukaze itaru (Warm Winds Blow)

蓮始開 Hasu hajimete hiraku (First Lotus Blossoms)

鷹乃学習 Taka sunawachi waza o narau (Hawks Learn to Fly)

桐始結花 Kiri hajimete hana o musubu (Paulownia Trees Produce Seeds)

土潤溽暑 Tsuchi uruōte mushi atsushi (Earth is Damp, Air is Humid)