Japanese Symbol for
夏natsu
summer · heat · festival season
Readings
Meaning
Summer, summertime. 夏 is the season of 祭り (matsuri — festivals), 花火 (hanabi — fireworks), and お盆 (Obon — ancestor festival). Japan's hot, humid summer is intensely cultural.
Example words
夏祭り
natsu-matsuri
summer festival
夏休み
natsu-yasumi
summer break
真夏
manatsu
midsummer, peak of summer
夏至
geshi
summer solstice
夏目漱石
Natsume Sōseki
Japan's greatest novelist (summer-eye)
熱帯夜
nettai-ya
tropical night (above 25°C all night)
Japanese summer is defined by 祭り (matsuri — festivals): the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto (July), Awa Odori in Tokushima (August), and thousands of local festivals with portable shrines (神輿 — mikoshi), dancing, and fireworks. お盆 (Obon) in August is when ancestors' spirits return — families gather, lanterns float on rivers, and the Bon Odori dance is performed.
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