Current location:politics >>
VOX POPULI: Early spring fills us with regret at missing out on winter’s charms
politics1878People have gathered around
IntroductionSosei (844-910), a “waka” poet and Buddhist priest who was one of the Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry ...
Sosei (844-910), a “waka” poet and Buddhist priest who was one of the Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry (Sanju-roku Kasen) of the Asuka, Nara and Heian periods (from 592 to 1185), penned a piece that may be paraphrased as: “The warbling of a nightingale is what I await most eagerly from the morning of New Year’s Day.”
People can’t wait for the arrival of warmer weather. They strain their ears, wanting to be the first to catch the faint footsteps and the soft breath of spring.
This year, however, spring has arrived so early that I am not quite sure what to make of it.
When I visited Tokyo’s Hamarikyu Gardens just the other day, ume flowering plum trees were already in full bloom and “mejiro” Japanese white-eyes were hopping from branch to branch.
In Tokyo, this year’s first ume blossoms were observed on Jan. 9. This was about one month earlier than back in the 1970s, when the flowers were said to usually arrive in February.
Changes are also being noticed at Izunuma and Uchinuma, a pair of marshes in Miyagi Prefecture, where geese and swans winter every year.
Normally, the birds start their northbound journey home around this time. But this year, most of the birds are said to have left already.
“I have been observing them for many years, but this is the first time this has happened, and I am surprised,” said Tetsuro Shimada of the Sanctuary Center of Izunuma-Uchinuma in Miyagi Prefecture.
Thanks to the mild weather, there is said to be little snow or ice this year in Akita Prefecture and other places where the birds make stopovers, Shimada noted.
They apparently knew they would not be lacking for food and shelter on their way home and so started taking off, one after another.
For Tokyo, the forecast for the middle of the week is that it will feel like mid-April. I don’t know if I should be happy or concerned.
I definitely do not want survivors of the Noto Peninsula earthquake and people in heavy snow areas to endure more frigid temperatures.
That said, however, I would still like winter to feel like--well, winter.
In “Makura no Soshi” (The Pillow Book), author Sei Shonagon (ca 966-1017 or 1025) extols the exquisiteness of early morning in winter.
I am sure the arrival of spring is all the more welcome after inhaling a lungful of icy morning air in winter.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 12
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Station news portal”。http://kenya.downmusic.org/article-03b599993.html
Related articles
IF starring Ryan Reynolds lands at the top of a lackluster box office with less
politicsJohn Krasinski's IF landed in the top spot at the box office over the weekend, collecting an estimat ...
【politics】
Read moreWave of electoral violence in southern Mexico claims 14 lives in matter of days
politicsTAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — Attacks on political candidates in Mexico’s violence-torn southern state of ...
【politics】
Read moreSt. Pauli wins German second division title ahead of promotion to Bundesliga
politicsWIESBADEN, Germany (AP) — St. Pauli has won the German second division title as it prepares to retur ...
【politics】
Read more
Popular articles
- Jennifer Garner visits ex
- Keller pitches 6 effective innings as the Pirates edge the Cubs 3
- Man acquitted in 2016 killing of pregnant woman and her boyfriend at a Topeka apartment
- Arsenal gets late winner against Everton but has to settle for second place in Premier League
- 'Constantly learning' Imanaga off to impressive start with the Chicago Cubs
- Late crash knocks Nolan Siegel out of Indianapolis 500, keeps Ericsson and Rahal in starting field
Latest articles
Yvette Fielding says her Most Haunted co
Rangers slugger Adolis García scratched from starting lineup with forearm soreness
Man acquitted in 2016 killing of pregnant woman and her boyfriend at a Topeka apartment
Former All
Ravens sign WR Qadir Ismail, the son of former NFL receiver Qadry Ismail
Rangers slugger Adolis García scratched from starting lineup with forearm soreness
LINKS
- Cannes sets lineup with Lanthimos, Coppola and Trump film 'The Apprentice'
- How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 4/12/2024
- Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates? With a robust US economy, it might not need to
- CBS says its daytime show 'The Talk' will end its run in December after 15 seasons
- Archaeologists unearth the largest cemetery ever discovered in Gaza and find rare lead sarcophogi
- Maggie Rogers on 'Don't Forget Me,' the album she wrote for a Sunday drive
- Review: 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' clears a low bar
- SpaceX launches 4 astronauts to the ISS for a 6
- Solar eclipse sweeps across North America. The moment of totality, in photos
- How do animals react during a total solar eclipse? Scientists plan to find out in April