Risshun: When The First Breath Of Spring Arrives

 Last year, I wrote about the Setsubun festival that takes place every February 3rd. https://jackiesjapanjournal.blogspot.com/2025/02/setsubun.html

The day after Setsubun is Risshun. If Setsubun is the dramatic clearing-out of demons and bad energy, Risshun is the soft inhale that follows, when the world feels newly washed and ready for what comes next.

Risshun has long been seen as a kind of spiritual reset button. In the old calendar, this wasn't just a seasonal marker; it was the beginning of the year's energetic cycle. It's a time when farmers look for signs of warmth in the soil, housewives take the chance to refresh their spaces. Even if the temperatures haven't quite caught up, there is a sense that winter is losing its grip. 

I've noticed that the sunrise is a little earlier and the sunset is a little later, marking the promise of longer days to come. Also, the ume blossoms are beginning to bud; they are very resilient, defying the cold!

I've noticed these thick sushi rolls in the supermarkets; you are supposed to eat one, facing the year's lucky direction. This year, the direction is east and southeast.

I haven't made these, so I had to get a photo from the internet!

We live in a world that is always on the go, moving fast to the next thing, the next new trend. I like the idea of these older traditions, a way to slow down for a day, to reflect and notice how nature is changing. A quiet visit to a shrine, a walk outside to notice the very first buds, the chance to quietly renew our spirits and our surroundings. A gentle pause, a chance to breathe and redetermine ourselves for the rest of the year!