It’s the last microseason of Summer and the sky becomes volatile once again. Thunderclouds rapidly gather, and sudden downpours, brief but intense, sweep across the countryside. Unlike the long, steady rains of tsuyu, these bursts of precipitation arrive with force, transforming fields, roads, and waterways in a matter of minutes.

As the full weight of Midsummer descends, the earth becomes damp, and sultry heat prevails. The soil no longer drinks eagerly as it did during rainy season. Instead it now holds moisture tightly, and heat seems to rise from within the earth itself. This saturation unique to Summer is seen in seasonal literature and architectural design.

Great Heat. The hottest sub-season of the traditional microseasonal calendar has arrived. For the next two weeks, we are said to experience peak heat. If Small Heat, is the rehearsal, then Great Heat is the live performance. The season is marked when the purple flowers of the paulownia tress give way to hard-shelled fruit across the countryside.

In preparation to live independently, young hawks learn how to fly and hunt around this time of year. Hawks are known for their exceptional flight capabilities, able to maneuver freely through the sky. Among the animals most closely associated with authority and refinement is the hawk.

This time of year, admirers can be found searching for lotus flowers in parks and temples at dawn. The flower’s significance lies in its lifecycle. Emerging from the history that is muddy, marshy waters, the handsome lotus stands tall, and flashes open its striking flower that lasts a mere four days.

In the traditional Japanese palette, the color green is a relatively recent distinction. For much of Japan’s history, what we now identify as green was encompassed within the broader category of ao. Historically, ao did not refer solely to what is called blue in English. Rather, it described a wide range of hues.

Appearing shortly after Summer Solstice, Mid-Summer flora emerge. The season when we greet one another not with a simple good morning or good evening, but add that we cannot believe that we are already "circling back".

Mid-summer in the Japanese archipelago means that irises begin to unfurl their distinctive blooms. Irises carry medicinal significance, as well as aesthetic. Though often grouped together under the term “iris,” in Japan we categorize irises into three types: shobu, ayamé, and kakitsubata. Each refers to a different species with unique habitats, forms, and cultural associations.

Prunella with its violet flower spikes, appear briefly before withering in the heat. Utsubogusa has long been used in traditional Japanese medicine for its cooling and anti-inflammatory properties. In traditional medicinal practices, it has been categorized as bitter and cold, suited to clearing internal heat and reduce swelling.

As rice paddies fill with water and fireflies show-off their light, a subtle change unfolds in nearby gardens, orchards, and mountain groves​. The green fruit of the umé tree begins to ​ripen into a blushed yellow. 

Our ancestors believed that fireflies were born from decaying grass. This impression may have arisen from the hidden transformation of their larvae, which pupate within the soil and later emerge as glowing adults. The mystery of hotaru seemed to spring forth from withering vegetation.

The emergence of the praying mantis marks an early summer transition. Tiny hatchlings, newly released from their protective eggs, hop onto the surrounding grasses. Kamakiri is one of the few insects widely recognized across Japan as a beneficial presence in the field.

This microseason marks the Autumn of Wheat. Golden fields flood the Japanese countryside. Stalks heavy with ripe grain sway in the breeze. Whilst early June, “Autumn” is leveraged to express that wheat has fully matured and harvest season is upon us.

Vibrant orange-red benibana flourish across Japan​ this time of year. Benibana is deeply rooted in Japan’s traditional dyeing culture​, creating a spectrum of reds. ​T​he valuable benibana dye ​was once essential in​ the textile arts and courtly garments, as well as an aromatic oil used in traditional medicines and cuisine. Without benibana, ​kimono, hair accessories, and lip coloring ​would lack their distinctive hues.

This late May microseason marks the moment when silkworms awaken and begin to feed on fresh mulberry leaves. This is not merely a biological observation but a cultural marker, announcing the beginning of Japan’s traditional sericulture, the cultivation of silkworms and the production of raw silk. 

Young bamboo spears push through the earth during this microseason. With their tensile strength, rapid growth, and elegant verticality, bamboo has long played a foundational role in Japanese life, not only for its aesthetic appeal but for its enduring utility across architecture, craft, cuisine, and ritual.

​Earthworms hatch during this microseason, and come into full activity by ​m​id Summer. A small but profound signal of the earth’s awakening​. ​Like in many cultures around the world, earthworms ​a​re referred to as "nature’s plough". ​They turn and aerate the soil through their constant burrowing, enriching the earth as they go. ​

It's the first of Summer and frogs begin to sing. As temperatures rise, rice paddies and country meadows fill with the resonant chorus of frogs, their voices marking the full emergence of the season. These early calls signal more than a shift in weather. They announce the beginning of the agricultural cycle.

Botan, known as the “King of a Hundred Flowers,” unfurls its voluminous petals. The flowering of the peony has long been recognized as a turning point in the traditional microseasonal calendar. With a bloom period of roughly ten days, the peony appears just as Spring prepares to give way to Summer. Its presence is not merely decorative, but an unmistakable sign of change.

Weather warms and frost surrenders, mark​ing the preparation of seedbeds, or nawashiro. ​The sound of water ​being drawn into the paddies​ can be heard all across the countryside, and the earth is carefully leveled. This attention to detail in ​preparing the land ​h​as a direct correlation to the health of the rice ​a​s it grows. An masterful skill to ensure that ​harvest can sustain ​a​n entire community ​over a full year. ​​