As flora of all sorts drink in the moisture from soil and air, the increase of water-based nutrients give way to budding. Under the gentle sunlight of Spring, lime-green buds begin to appear on the ground and along tree branches. The life energy stored over Winter starts to manifest.

Harugasumi, Spring haze, drapes itself across the landscape, causing distant mountains and scenery to appear faint and blurred, orchestrating an ethereal atmosphere. There are a multitude of variations to the word kasumi, each illustrating a slightly different nuance, offering precise imagery or feeling to prose.

Whilst this period often coincides with the peak of accumulated snowfall, it is also seen as a turning point when the temperatures begin to rise. The harsh cold gradually eases, snowfall turns into rain, and the deep layers of snow and ice in the mountains melt. This is the season of Haru-ichiban, the first Spring winds, further nudging the thaw.

Slowly but surely the ice begins to crack, and and ever so faintly we can observe fish moving beneath the frozen surface. During Winter, fish hibernate toward the floor of rivers and lakes, and remain quiet across these months. But as the water warms and the position of the daytime sun begins to rise a bit higher, the surface of waterways glisten with these rays and the activity below becomes clearer.

In Japan, when the word uguisu or nightingales (now most commonly known as Japanese bush warblers) are mentioned, two colors come to mind: uguisu and umé. Essentially, the soft green and pink tones that mirror nighingales and the plum blossoms that cuddle them. The motif of plum blossoms and nightingales has often been featured in poetry and paintings as a symbol of Spring.

It’s the dawn of a new year. “Spring Winds Melt Ice” marks the beginning of Spring. It’s the first microseason of the year, and the first of the trio of microseasons within the subseason Risshun, or First of Spring. Risshun isn’t just about a date in the calendar, it’s a symbolic transition that connects seasonal changes, spiritual beliefs, and cultural traditions.