Japan is a country with an extraordinary sense of seasons. Cherry blossoms in spring, fireworks in summer, red leaves in autumn, hot springs in winter — the four distinct seasons are woven deeply into the language. And when it comes to age and lifespan, Japanese is equally nuanced: from infancy to old age, every stage of life has its own kanji.
This article teaches you 20 kanji related to seasons and ages — the kanji of time passing.
Core Kanji Table
Four Seasons
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 春 | シュン (shun) | はる (haru) | spring | 春休み (はるやすみ, spring break), 青春 (せいしゅん, youth) | The Japanese school year starts in April (spring) |
| 夏 | カ (ka) | なつ (natsu) | summer | 夏休み (なつやすみ, summer break), 夏祭り (なつまつり, summer festival) | The season of fireworks festivals |
| 秋 | シュウ (shū) | あき (aki) | autumn | 秋分 (しゅうぶん, autumn equinox), 秋葉原 (あきはばら, Akihabara) | The 秋 in Akihabara means "autumn" |
| 冬 | トウ (tō) | ふゆ (fuyu) | winter | 冬休み (ふゆやすみ, winter break), 冬眠 (とうみん, hibernation) | Hokkaido's winters are especially long |
| 季 | キ (ki) | — | season | 季節 (きせつ, season), 四季 (しき, four seasons) | Rarely used alone — always in compounds |
| 候 | コウ (kō) | — | climate, time | 気候 (きこう, climate), 天候 (てんこう, weather) | Used in formal letter openings: 〜の候 |
Temperature
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 暑 | ショ (sho) | あつ(い) (atsu-i) | hot (weather) | 暑い (あつい, hot), 猛暑 (もうしょ, heat wave) | Specifically for hot weather, not hot objects |
| 寒 | カン (kan) | さむ(い) (samu-i) | cold (weather) | 寒い (さむい, cold), 寒波 (かんぱ, cold wave) | Specifically for cold weather, not cold objects |
| 涼 | リョウ (ryō) | すず(しい) (suzu-shii) | cool, refreshing | 涼しい (すずしい, cool), 涼風 (りょうふう, cool breeze) | The pleasant feeling of autumn air |
| 温 | オン (on) | あたた(かい) (atata-kai) | warm | 温かい (あたたかい, warm), 温泉 (おんせん, hot spring) | Spring warmth — also the 温 in 温泉 |
Life Stages
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 若 | ジャク (jaku) | わか(い) (waka-i) | young | 若い (わかい, young), 若者 (わかもの, young person) | 若者 = the go-to word for "youth" |
| 老 | ロウ (rō) | お(いる) (o-iru) | old (age) | 老人 (ろうじん, elderly person), 老化 (ろうか, aging) | 敬老の日 = Respect for the Aged Day |
| 幼 | ヨウ (yō) | おさな(い) (osana-i) | infant, young child | 幼稚園 (ようちえん, kindergarten), 幼児 (ようじ, toddler) | The 幼 in kindergarten |
| 童 | ドウ (dō) | わらべ (warabe) | child | 児童 (じどう, child/pupil), 童話 (どうわ, fairy tale) | 童話 = fairy tale, children's story |
| 齢 | レイ (rei) | — | age (abstract) | 年齢 (ねんれい, age), 高齢 (こうれい, advanced age) | The formal way to say "age" |
| 歳 | サイ (sai) | — | years old | 二十歳 (はたち, 20 years old), 歳月 (さいげつ, years/time) | The standard age counter |
| 寿 | ジュ (ju) | ことぶき (kotobuki) | longevity | 寿命 (じゅみょう, lifespan), 長寿 (ちょうじゅ, long life) | Used in celebrations and blessings |
Evening & Eras
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 暮 | ボ (bo) | く(れる) (ku-reru) | dusk, end of year | 夕暮れ (ゆうぐれ, twilight), 歳暮 (せいぼ, year-end gift) | お歳暮 = Japan's year-end gift-giving custom |
| 晩 | バン (ban) | — | evening | 今晩 (こんばん, tonight), 晩御飯 (ばんごはん, dinner) | 晩 vs 夜: 晩 = early evening, 夜 = late night |
| 昭 | ショウ (shō) | — | bright, luminous | 昭和 (しょうわ, Showa era), 昭然 (しょうぜん, obvious) | The Showa era (1926–1989) |
Japanese Seasons and Cultural Traditions
In Japan, the four seasons are not just weather — they are an entire way of life:
| Season | Tradition | Japanese | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 花見 (はなみ) | Hanami | Cherry blossom viewing. From late March to April, people picnic and drink under the cherry trees. |
| Summer | 花火大会 (はなびたいかい) | Hanabi | Fireworks festivals. Summer nights lit up by fireworks, with everyone in yukata robes. |
| Autumn | 紅葉狩り (もみじがり) | Momijigari | Autumn leaf viewing. Kyoto's red maples are the most famous autumn scenery in Japan. |
| Winter | 雪見 (ゆきみ) | Yukimi | Snow viewing. Soaking in an outdoor hot spring while watching the snow fall — winter luxury. |
Japan also has a unique tradition of kigo (季語, きご) — seasonal words that must appear in every haiku to indicate the season:
- Spring: 桜 (さくら, cherry blossom), 蛙 (かわず, frog)
- Summer: 蝉 (せみ, cicada), 向日葵 (ひまわり, sunflower)
- Autumn: 月 (つき, moon), 虫 (むし, insects)
- Winter: 雪 (ゆき, snow), 枯野 (かれの, withered field)
歳 vs 才 — Counting Ages in Japanese
Japanese has two ways to write "years old":
| Writing | Formality | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 歳 | Formal | Official documents, formal writing | 二十歳 (はたち), 三十歳 (さんじゅっさい) |
| 才 | Informal | Everyday writing, school essays | 20才, 10才 |
歳 is the proper kanji but has many strokes (13 strokes), so in everyday life, 才 (just 3 strokes) is often used instead. Both are read サイ (sai).
There is also an important distinction between 歳 and 齢:
- 歳 (サイ): A counter — "how many years old" → 三歳, 二十歳
- 齢 (レイ): An abstract concept — "age as a category" → 年齢, 高齢, 適齢
The simple rule: 歳 follows a number (number + 歳), while 齢 follows a descriptor (word + 齢).
Special note: 二十歳 is read はたち (hatachi), not "にじゅっさい." This is a native Japanese reading (yamato kotoba) — all other ages use the regular "number + さい" pattern.
Practice
Q1. What are the four season kanji, and how do you read them in kun'yomi?
Show answer
春 (はる), 夏 (なつ), 秋 (あき), 冬 (ふゆ). These four are among the most fundamental time-related kanji in Japanese, and the kun'yomi readings are used constantly.
Q2. What is the difference between 暑い and 温かい?
Show answer
暑い (あつい) means uncomfortably hot weather, typically used for summer heat. 温かい (あたたかい) means pleasantly warm, used for spring weather or to describe a person's warmth.
Q3. How do you read 二十歳, and why is it special?
Show answer
It is read はたち (hatachi), not "にじゅっさい." This is a traditional native Japanese (yamato kotoba) reading. Japan's Coming of Age Day (成人式, せいじんしき) celebrates turning twenty.
Q4. What is お歳暮, and which season is it associated with?
Show answer
お歳暮 (おせいぼ) is Japan's year-end gift-giving tradition, associated with winter. The word 歳暮 literally means "the twilight (end) of the year." Gifts are typically sent in early December to express gratitude for the past year.
Q5. What does 昭 mean, and when was the Showa era?
Show answer
昭 means "bright" or "luminous." The Showa era lasted from 1926 to 1989, making it the longest era name in Japanese history (64 years). Japanese people over 40 are often called 昭和生まれ (Showa-born).
Summary
- Season kanji: 春 (はる), 夏 (なつ), 秋 (あき), 冬 (ふゆ) are the foundation of time vocabulary
- Temperature kanji: 暑 (hot), 寒 (cold), 涼 (cool), 温 (warm) map to the four seasons
- Life stage kanji: 幼 → 童 → 若 → 老, a full spectrum from infancy to old age
- 歳 vs 才: Use 歳 formally, 才 casually; 齢 is abstract ("age"), 歳 is a counter ("years old")
- Japan's seasonal traditions (hanami, hanabi, momijigari, yukimi) are deeply embedded in the language
- Next up: Past, Present & Future — kanji for the flow of time