Enjoy the calendar of the four seasons Japan has many beautiful four seasons and the blessings of nature from time to time. Let's enjoy the beautiful four seasons of Japan

Chitose Ame (‘Thousand year candy’) are presented to children on this day as a symbol of longevity. text & coordination/ Rieko Ido, photo/ Hajime Watanabe

For westerners, keeping track of the different eras in Japan can be a confusing ordeal. How long is an era in Japan exactly? That depends. Japan’s system of counting years in groups era names creates varying lengths because eras begin each time a new emperor takes the throne. The first year of the new era name is called the nengo.

Hachiju-hachiya, ”88th night” falls around 2 May, eighty-eight days after the beginning of spring, signaling harvest time.