Seasonal Terms (Spring Ed.) in Japanese

Seasonal Terms (Spring Ed.) in Japanese

Welcome back to another “Video & Article” series, this time for another live-stream with tutor Erika. This live-stream is about seasonal terms used in Japanese and we are introducing some spring related terms, including vocabulary regarding the wide-spread hay fever here in Japan.

Table of Contents
[General Terms]
[Hay fever in Japan]

[General Terms]

Japan is often visited by spring storms, which can be as strong as Typhoons and paralyze parts of the public transportation system. These spring storms are called “はるあらし”.
はる Spring
Possessive particle
あらし Storm
An example sentence could look like this:
先週せんしゅうはるあらし日本列島にほんれっとう横断おうだんしました。
A spring storm crossed over the Japanese islands last week.
The feeling when the temperatures are beginning to rise, and you slowly start to feel spring in the air is called “はる陽気ようき” in Japanese.
はる Spring
Possessive particle
陽気ようき Season, weather, merriness, cheerfulness“
陽気ようき” means weather in this case, but you can see how the other meanings of this word would give it a very positive note. When the weather is starting to get nice and warm in April and May, Japanese people will say “はる陽気ようきだね/ですね”.An example sentence with this expression could look like this:
ようやくだんだんあたたかくなってきてはる陽気ようきかんじることができます。
It’s finally becoming warmer and warmer, and it feels like spring is in the air.
Another expression you may here in spring is “ポカポカする”. “Pokapoka” is one of the many onomatopoeia (オノマトペア) (words that imitate or suggest the source of the sound they describe). “ポカポカする” means that something feels warm. It can be used to describe warm spring weather, but also many other things! For example, after a nice, long bath you could say:
風呂ふろあとからだがぽかぽかする
I feel nice and warm after taking a bath.
いい天気てんきでぽかぽかするね。
The weather is so warm and pleasant.

[Hay fever in Japan]

While spring is a generally warm and beautiful season in Japan, there that afflicts about 20% of the Japanese population: hay fever. Pollen are “花粉かふん” in Japanese,
and hay fever is “花粉症かふんしょう” (“しょう” means illness, hence literally this would be “pollen illness”).

Hay fever in Japan is mostly caused by the pillen of two local tree species: すぎ (Japanese cedar) and ひのき (Japanese cypress). Similar to the cherry blossom season, pollen season is tracked across television and news outlets as it progresses from south to north across the country. Pollen season starts with rising temperatures, so around mid-January to February with its peak in March and early April. During this season, you cannot only see many people wearing masks around the city, but also lots of advertisements and TV commercials for anti-pollen medicine and remedies.

Let’s learn a few phrases you will hear a lot during hay fever season (or if you are unlucky, may need to use yourself).
わたしは花粉症かふんしょうです。鼻水はなみずがでてがかゆいです。
I have hay fever. My nose is running and my eyes are itchy.
くしゃみがまらないです。
I can’t stop sneezing.
のどがいがいがします。
Something is irritating my throat.
This is a conversation that could easily take place during hay fever season:
マスクしているけどかぜひいたの?
Are you wearing a mask because you caught a cold?
ううん、花粉症かふんしょうなんだ。
No, I have hay fever.
スギ花粉かふん? 
Is it cedar pollen?
うん、鼻水はなみずがでてつらいよ…
Yeah, my nose is running so much...
If you’re worried about pollen season in Japan, don’t be! (Okay, maybe be a little worried.) There are high-quality masks you can buy all over in drug stores or convenience stores that can help you ward off the worst. That’s it for today. If you have any questions, you can always clear them up by booking a lesson with one of our native Japanese tutors. See you next time!
単語たんごリスト(Vocabulary list)
はる Spring
あらし Storm
日本列島にほんれっとう Japanese islands
横断おうだんする To cross, to traverse
ようやく Finally, at last
あたたかい Warm, mild (for weather)
陽気ようき Season, weather, merriness, cheerfulness
かんじる To feel
ポカポカする To be warm and pleasant, to be nice and warm (onomatopoeic word)
風呂ふろ Bath
花粉かふん Pollen
花粉症かふんしょう Hay fever
すぎ Sugi, Japanese cedar
ひのき Hinoki, Japanese cypress
鼻水はなみず Dripping nose, snot
かゆい Itchy
くしゃみ Sneeze
いがいがする To tickle (in the throat) (onomatopoeic word)