| season name | meaning | asscociations | aprox. gregorian date |
| Risshun | 立春 | Start of spring | Ground thaws, fish appear under ice. | Feb 4 |
| Usui | 雨水 | Rain waters | Snow recedes, mist lingers in the air. | Feb 18 |
| Keichitsu | 啓蟄 | Emergence of the worms | Bugs surface from hibernation. | Mar 6 |
| Shunbun | 春分 | Vernal equinox | Sparrows start to nest, cherry blossoms bloom. | Mar 21 |
| Seimei | 清明 | Clear and bright | Geese fly north, the first rainbows of the year appear. | Apr 4 |
| Kokū | 穀雨 | Rain for harvests | Reeds sprout by rivers, rice seedlings grow. | Apr 21 |
| Rikka | 立夏 | Start of summer | Birds and frogs start the songs of summer. | May 6 |
| Shōman | 小満 | Small blooming | Flowers and plants bloom, wheat ripens. | May 21 |
| Bōshu | 芒種 | Seeds and cereals | Praying mantises hatch, fireflies come out. Time to seed the soil. | Jun 5 |
| Geshi | 夏至 | Reaching summer | Longest days of the year, irises bloom. | Jun 21 |
| Shōsho | 小暑 | Small heat | Warm winds blow, young hawks learn to fly. | Jul 7 |
| Taisho | 大暑 | Big heat | Summer heat at its strongest, accompanied by great rains. | Jul 23 |
| Risshu | 立秋 | Start of autumn | Cooler winds blow, thick fogs roll through hills. | Aug 8 |
| Shosho | 処暑 | Lessening heat | Rice has ripened, the heat of summer, forgotten. | Aug 23 |
| Hakuro | 白露 | White dew | Drops of dew on grass. | Sep 7 |
| Shubun | 秋分 | Autumnal equinox | Day and night are of equal length. | Sep 23 |
| Kanro | 寒露 | Cold dew | Temperatures begin to drop, crickets stop chirping. | Oct 8 |
| Sōkō | 霜降 | Frosting | The first frosts, maple leaves turn yellow. | Oct 23 |
| Ritto | 立冬 | Start of winter | The ground starts to freeze. | Nov 8 |
| Shōsetsu | 小雪 | Small snow | Light snow, the last leaves have fallen from trees. | Nov 23 |
| Taisetsu | 大雪 | Big snow | Cold sets in, bears hibernate. | Dec 8 |
| Tōji | 冬至 | Winter solstice | Shortest days of the year. | Dec 22 |
| Shōkan | 小寒 | Small cold | Temperatures quickly drop. | Jan 6 |
| Daikan | 大寒 | Big cold | Ice thickens on the streams, hens huddle together. | Jan 20 |
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