#fuyu hana

[brokenrefraction]

[taruruchi]

The song where Riddle's and Azul's VAs sing together... No? Just me?

[cosmic-nebula356]

Forgot to add👀

But YIPPEEE got to draw his hair down!✨

If it helps for the translation, Hana means Flower, and Arashi means Storm

So combined with their names, it should translate to:

🌸Haru Hana = Spring Flower

❄️Fuyu Arashi = Winter Storm

As for the headcannoned last name for Aki and Natsu:

🍁Aki Kaze = Autumn Breeze

☀️Natsu Taiyō = Summer Sun

[f1zzyberry]

My KNY AU Lovechildren Names

Giyuu x Sanemi

Masachika (the 2nd) Tomioka-Shinazugawa

Sumi (the 2nd) Tomioka-Shinazugawa

Shuya (the 2nd) Tomioka-Shinazugawa

Koto (the 2nd) Tomioka-Shinazugawa

Mitsuri x Obanai

Mitsuki Kanroji

Mistua Kanroji

Mitsuka Kanroji

Mitsura Kanroji

Obasa Kanroji

Kyojuro x Tengen x Makio x Hinatsuru x Suma

Akiko Uzui

Bento Uzui

Cijira Uzui

Desura Uzui

Ejiro Uzui

Fuyuumi Uzui

Gota Uzui

Hatsume Uzui

Ira Uzui

Junko Uzui

Kuusuke Uzui

Leke Uzui

Koinatsu x Gyomei

Gohan Himejima

Mugen Himejima

Iroha Himejima

Minori Himejima

Gaara Himejima

Goten Himejima

Tsutako x Kanae

Makomo Tomioka-Kocho

Nana Tomioka-Kocho

Nene Tomioka-Kocho

Saburo x Sakonji

Genju Urokodaki

Genya x Muichiro (Sort of)

Wuichiro Shinazugawa-Tokito

Tamayo & Yushiro (not 'Tamayo x Yushiro')

Moshi Yamamoto

Neko Yamamoto

(Future) Yuichiro x Senjuro

Suichiro Rengoku-Tokito

Ruichiro Rengoku-Tokito

(Future) Tanjiro x Noguchi

Botan Kamado

Mera Kamado

Fumiko Kamado

(Future) Aoi x Inosuke

Mahiro Kanzaki

Hanae Kanzaki

Kotoha x Douma (Before he ate her)

Inosuke Hashibira

Ouri Hashibira

Goto x Murata

Noriko Sato

Chiyo Sato

Taro Sato

Shinobu x Ozaki

Kana Kocho

(Kimetsu Academy + Future) Sabito x Zenitsu

Yuri Agatsuma

Rei Agatsuma

Gyutaro x Kaigaku

Noboru Shabana-Inadama

(Kimetsu Academy) Masachika x Kyogai

Kazutaka Kumeno

Nozomi Kumeno

Hantengu Clones (Kind of)

Hoshiko (Greed)

Sengen (Envy)

Aiko (Love)

Wakumi (Confusion)

Hakuji x Koyuki

Yukihime Soyama

Touki Soyama

Samui Soyama

Fuyu Soyama

Shimo Soyama

Koori Soyama

Muzan x Himself

Waru Kibutsuji

Kanamori x Hotaru

Hikari Haganezuka

Asahi Haganezuka

Spider Mum (Kumiko) x Ume (Kimetsu Academy + Future)

Sayori Shabana

Nori Shabana

[pinckcloud]

春夏秋冬 (Shunkashuutou) Lyrics Reference

Hakumyu lyrics nerdposting!

The choruses of 春夏秋冬 (Shunkashuutou) (Spring Summer Autumn Winter), the opening song of Hakumyu Shinkai Hijikata-hen and Shinkai Toudou-hen, reference the famous opening line of "The Tale of the Heike," a classical Japanese epic about the Genpei War (12th century). The line is as follows:

祇園精舎の鐘の聲、諸行無常の響き有り。 沙羅雙樹の花の色、盛者必衰の理を顯す。 驕れる者も久しからず、唯春の夜の夢の如し。 猛き者も遂には滅びぬ、偏に風の前の塵に同じ。 Gionshōja no kane no koe, Shogyōmujō no hibiki ari. Sarasōju no hana no iro, Jōshahissui no kotowari wo arawasu. Ogoreru mono mo hisashikarazu, tada haru no yo no yume no gotoshi. Takeki mono mo tsui ni wa horobin(u), hitoeni kaze no mae no chiri ni onaji. The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind. –Chapter 1.1, Helen Craig McCullough's translation (Source: Wikipedia)

The line references several concepts in Buddhism, namely impermanence (諸行無常 shogyoumujou), and "the prosperous must decline" (盛者必衰 joushahissui). 祇園精舎 Gion Shouja refers to the famous Buddhist temple Jetavana. 沙羅雙樹 Sarasouju the sāla flowers/tree is used in Buddhism as a symbol of impermanence and fleeting glory due to its brief flowering period (sound familiar?).

The first chorus of 春夏秋冬 (with romanisation and translation) goes:

祇園精舎　鐘が聞こえる Gionshouja kane ga kikoeru The bells of Gion Shouja ring ついにこの時が来たぜ Tsui ni kono toki ga kita ze At last, the time has come 諸行無常　響き渡れば Shogyoumujou hibiki watareba They echo the impermanence of all things 時代が動き出す Jidai ga ugokidasu The times move on 沙羅双樹の　白き花びら Sarasouju no shiroki hanabira The white petals of the sala flowers 返り血で赤く染めて Kaeri chi de akaku somete Are dyed red with the blood we spill 盛者必衰　理知れば Joushahissui kotowari shireba Once you know the truth that the prosperous must decline 武士としての夢が始まる Bushi toshite no yume ga hajimaru The dream of a warrior begins

The references to "The Tale of Heike" are alternated with lines about the story of the Shinsengumi/Hakuouki. The final chorus returns to this:

祇園精舎　鐘が止まって Gion shouja kane ga tomatte The bells of Gion Shouja cease 春の夢終わり告げる Haru no yume owari tsugeru Signaling the end of a spring dream 諸行無常　おごれる者は Shogyoumujou ogoreru mono wa All things are impermanent, the mighty remain 夏の夢に酔いしれ Natsu no yume ni yoishire Lost within a summer’s dream 娑羅双樹が赤く染まった Sarasouju ga akaku somatta The sala petals are dyed red 始まるが　秋たそがれ Hajimaru ga aki tasogare What begins now is the twilight of autumn 盛者必衰　夢が散る冬 Joushahissui yume ga chiru fuyu The prosperous must decline as the dreams scatter in winter 見せてやるぜ　夢の行く末 Misete yaru ze yume no yukusue We’ll show you where our dream ends

The lyrics now refer to the "end," along with mentions of the four seasons, hence the title. Spring ends, those who can't move on remain trapped in bygone summer, autumn moves on, and their dreams end in winter - but it's a beautiful ending that they will show you.

Bonus: ヤイサ！ヤイサ！ヤイサ！Yaisa! Yaisa! Yaisa! also referenced the same Heike line.

(P.S. Apologies to my academics that my sources here are Wikipedia. If you wish to go into more depth on this topic (or any!), I encourage you to use this as a starting point with which to explore more varied and quality sources.)

[konjaku]

山茶花[Sazanka] Camellia sasanqua

Sazanka and 椿[Tsubaki](C. japonica) are related species and very similar. To distinguish between the two, Sazanka blooms in winter and scatters its petals in pieces; Tsubaki, as its name "木(Tree) + 春(Spring)" implies, blooms in spring and falls intact.

However, in the book 花のいろいろ[Hana no iroiro](Various kinds of flowers), Novelist 幸田 露伴[Kōda Rohan] writes an essay of which the title 山茶花 is read as tsubaki, even though the kanji 椿 has been around for a long time. The following is its beginning. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kōda_Rohan

山茶花 つばきはもと冬の花なり。爛紅火の如く雪󠄁中に開く、と東坡の云ひけんはまことの風情󠄁なるべし。我邦にては、はやくより咲󠄁くもあれど、春に至りて美しく咲󠄁きこぼるゝを多しとす。

[Tsubaki Tsubaki wa moto fuyu no hana nari. Rankō hi no gotoku setchū ni hiraku, to tōha no iiken wa makoto no fuzei naru beshi. Wa ga kuni nite wa, hayaku yori saku mo aredo, haru ni itarite utsukushiku saki koboruru wo ooshi to su.] Tsubaki is essentially a winter flower. "The deep crimson (flowers) open like fire in the snow", said Tōha(Su Shi), and this must be the real taste (of them). In our country, although there are some types that bloom early, most of them bloom beautifully in spring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Shi Source: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1227060/1/111

It seems that he does not separate the two. The rest of the essay describes Tsubaki(C. japonica).

By the way, the genus Camellia is called 山茶 in China, and the botanical name for 寒椿[Kantsubaki](lit. Tsubaki that blooms in the cold season), which blooms in winter, is C. sasanqua ‘Shishigashira’.

[yatagarasuhonyaku]

On names: The North

Note: We don't know the real names of any of the Northern women, The ones here depicted are their alias or 'karina' (仮名).

The Townships:

垂氷郷 (Taruhi-gou): Taru (垂, hang) + Hi (氷, ice).

風巻郷 (Shimaki-gou): Shi (風, wind) + Maki (巻, coil).

時雨郷 (Shigure-gou): Shi (時, time) + Gure (雨, rain). It refers to rain in early winter.

The Northern House:

玄哉 (Gen'ya): Gen (玄, mysterious) + Ya (哉, questioning/exclamation). 哉 is the kanji version of the grammatical かな (adding hesitation/uncertainty to a sentence). It was also used as an exclamation, but that's more old-fashioned japanese. The Northern Lord.

お凌 (Oryou): O (御, honorable) + Ryou (凌, endure). Gen'ya's legal wife and mother to all his children.

玄喜 (Genki): Gen (玄, mysterious) + Ki (喜, rejoice). First kanji inherited from his father, Gen'ya. His son and heir.

喜栄 (Kiei): Ki (喜, rejoice) + Ei (栄, prosperity). First kanji inherited from his father, Genki. His son and Gen'ya's grandson.

六つの花 (Mutsu no Hana): Her alias means 'Six Flowers'. Gen'ya's first daughter and Shiratama's mother.

白珠 (Shiratama): Shira (白, white) + Tama (珠, pearl). Mutsu no Hana's daughter and Gen'ya's granddaughter.

冬木 (Fuyuki): Fuyu (冬, winter) + Ki (木, tree). It means barren tree. Gen'ya's second daughter, Yukimasa's first legal wife and Yukiya's mother.

Taruhi Township:

雪正 (Yukimasa): Yuki (雪, snow) + Masa (正, justice). Yukiya's father.

梓 (Azusa): It means 'catalpa tree'. Yukimasa's second legal wife and Yukima and Yukichi's mother.

雪馬 (Yukima): Yuki (雪, snow) + Ma (馬, horse). First kanji inherited from his father, Yukimasa. Yukiya's older brother.

雪哉 (Yukiya): Yuki (雪, snow) + Ya (哉, questioning/exclamation). First kanji inherited from his father, Yukimasa; second kanji from his grandfather, Gen'ya. 悦哉 (Essai), which also uses the second kanji, is the word for a male japanese sparrowhawk.

雪雉 (Yukichi): Yuki (雪, snow) + Chi (雉, green pheasant). First kanji inherited from his father, Yukimasa. Yukiya's younger brother.

Shimaki Township:

市柳 (Ichiryuu): Ichi (市, city) + Ryuu (柳, willow). Third son of the Shimaki Township Lord.

茂丸 (Shigemaru): Shige (茂, overgrown) + Maru (丸, round). -maru is a stock way to finish boy names.

[mspaint-flower]

hehe. you know how vocaloids have some objects that represent them? im assuming flowers object are. well flowers courtesy of the name, and i know rin's object are oranges

and you know, orange trees happen to have really cute blossoms:) something they could bond over, I think

(source for the picture)

OUGGGHHHH YESSSSSS i agree, i always loved representing flower with flowers, ironically enough i also made a flower based on her years ago called the winter flower (or hana fuyu) and they look similar to this picture you sent!!

[vladislavroslyakovkisser]

She doesn't have the skin but still so beautiful wtf

Creds: Hair - Elysia Bow, Hair clips, Glasses - Wlady, hana Bandages - Yumi (ig) Outfit - miyumi, sammie, dreamy, tomu, pd, tia aka Leg warmers - Sammie, Wlady, NP Shoes - Fuyu and Natasha

[correctproseka]

no clue whats happening on the jp server (im out of the loop on purpose)

but i was looking at the event list because i wanted to see if we were actually starting mizuki's arc like we all assumed with bake no hana/ominous tolling of the bells

and not only do the two most recent niigo events seem focused on mafuyu again but the one that they started today seems focused on a bigger part of mafuyus story

and i have mixed feelings about it

n25 has so many deep/complex stories and struggles that i personally feel we're not taking enough time to explore, i was really excited for mizukis arc beside, her being my oshi aside, i was excited to finally see a different characters perspective and struggles and a deeper look into their story so we can start to see the other girls start healing too

i assumed like everyone else that mafuyu would step out of the spotlight to let mizuki have a few months of focus where everyones focus events just tie into mizuki because thats what we've been doing with mafuyu for the better portion of this games airing

but with the most 2 recent events being focused on deep mafuyu lore, again, (and i only have the brief summary on the wiki, so i could be wrong) i dont know if theyre going back to focusing on fuyu or if they couldnt find a way to make a mafuyu story that did fit into mizukis story (you know, the way that I nandesu and kitty both are ena or mizuki comms/focus events but the story still revolves around mafuyu, same with samsa) which if true is another issue on its own

but mainly idk i feel we've spent enough time on mafuyu for now and maybe this is a short overlap to tie up loose ends in his story or maybe its to show that more than one group mate can struggle at a time but colopale doesnt have a good track record and i dont trust it

this is in no way hate for mafuyu hes one of my faves too it just doesnt feel fair, enas art struggles get handled so passively but i know theres more to her and idk i am the rain made me feel we were just gonna prematurely wrap that up and kanade hasnt dealt with her deeper issues at all yet and almost 4 or 5 years into the game i wanna see more. so much gets hinted at and then completely ignored and i just want everyones story to feel complete and everyones problems/trauma to be not only heard of or hinted at but actually properly explored and resolved and its not fair that (again, to me, with limited knowledge) mafuyu is the only one to have that so far

we dont know how long we'll have this game after all

-rambler anon

Ok, not to say i disagree rn, just to explain a little thing

Mizuki's arc didnt start in Mizu5. It ended in Ena5. It started all the way back with Id Smile, it was a Mizuena focused arc as much as Ena's arc is usually within herself.

Meanwhile, it needs the entirety of niigo to "save" Mafuyu, Kanade can't do it alone (girly can't even save herself, differently from Ena).

What i thought they would do since Mafuyu run away is, for the second half of the game, to focus on Kanade, because her issues are quite literally killing her. But not much has happened yet. I figured they needed to almost finish Mafuyu's story up before.

That being said, i got the summary of this event by now, and I can't say im mad towards the direction its going. There was NOT a true forgiveness and trust, just a "we could try", which did not work because both mafumom and mafuyu need help, Mafumom to understand what she is doing and Mafuyu to understand that it is not her fault. As i assumed before the event, mafumom would fuck up again, its a habit, and those are hard to break.

I just wish they focus on Kanade more soon.

Also, one thing i wish they focused more before finishing Mizuki's arc: the reason why niigo is so focused on helping Mafuyu. There is no niigo without all of them, niigo would break without Mafuyu, but it would also break without Mizuki, so id love to have had an event showcasing that when Mizuki disappeared.

That being said, it is progressing on a satisfying way if you end up reading the stories, its just. Very slow. Not the worst writing in the game but they could try doing it a little better, yeah, such as, how you said: make kanamafu actually aware of mizuenas issues. Those two have the emotional intelligence of a wall I swear.

And we're about in the middle of the game, but as all units i see (but vbs, what is vbs doing) are starting to slow down their progression (example, leoni with Saki starting to hint she doesn't want to go pro) ((note: i am not aware of what wxs is doing bc they're my least favorite unit, so i could be wrong)) i think itll take a bit over 4 more years to finish.

[brokenrefraction]

sometimes i have no words to describe lore shit so i just end up making dumb doodles like this

[animemusicbrackets]

Finally, here is the submission results:

PRELIMINARY POLLS WILL BE UP TUESDAY 7/25 @ 12PM EDT

tags: preliminaries matches (the actual polls, not including any reblogs) bracket info propaganda

INFO UNDER CUT

✨✨There were a couple of submissions that were openings, rather than endings, so those have been removed. (So there were 700 valid submissions, 702 total submissions)

✨✨Songs that only got 1 or 2 votes will not be advancing.

✨✨At most 2 songs per series will be allowed in the bracket.

✨✨There were five series that had more than 2 qualifying songs (Chainsaw Man, Fullmetal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and Naruto).

✨✨There will be FOUR preliminary polls for these series. They will be a week long.

✨✨There will not be a preliminary round for Fullmetal Alchemist, because Uso and Shunkan Sentimental had many more votes than the other three submissions so I will just be putting those in the bracket automatically.

✨✨For HXH, JJBA, and Naruto, I will be putting the top voted song in the bracket, and the rest will battle to the death for the other designated spot. (I didnt do this for CSM bc it was a three way tie lol.) The endings that will be advancing for these series are:

"Hyouri Ittai" by Yuzu

"Roundabout" by Yes

"Wind" by Akeboshi

✨✨The Preliminary Polls will be:

💥Chainsaw Man (2 winners)

"Fight Song" by Eve

"First Death" by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure

"Hawatari Nioku Centi" by Maximum the Hormone

"In the Back Room" by syudou

"Tablet" by TOOBOE

"Time Left" by ZUTOMAYO

💥Hunter X Hunter (1 winner)

"Hunting For Your Dream" by Galneryus

"Just Awake" by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas

"Reason" by Yuzu

💥JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (1 winner)

"Akuyaku♢Kyousoukyoku ~ Oingo to Boingo~" by Various (Makoto Yasumura, Motoko Kumai, Hidenobu Kiuchi)

"I Want You" by Savage Garden

💥Naruto (1 winner)

"Broken Youth" by NICO Touches the Walls

"By My Side" by Hemenway

"Rainbow" by Vacuum Hollow

"U Can Do It!" by DOMINO

✨✨With the prelims, the total number of songs that will be advancing to the bracket is 62. I will not be doing any other preliminary rounds to fill in the last two spots, because I'm busy, and I really dont want to do polls for the 55 songs that got 2 votes, only for 2 spots. I will either have the bracket just be 62 songs OR i will use my godly powers to just put in two of the other songs that i like. its a surprise teehee.

✨✨The endings that are guaranteed a spot in the bracket are:

"About a Voyage" by Sayuri [Boku No Hero Academia]

"Aishiteru" by Callin' [Natsume Yuujinchou]

"Akatsuki" by Akiko Shikata [Yona of the Dawn]

"aLIEz" by Sawano Hiroyuki [Aldnoah.Zero]

"Aoi Honoo" by ITOWOKASHI [Black Clover]

"Chou Cream Funk" by Philosophy no Dance [Mashle: Magic and Muscles]

"Comedy" by Gen Hoshino [SPYxFAMILY]

"Daisy" by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION [Kyoukai no Kanata]

"Datte Atashi no Hiro" by LiSA [Boku No Hero Academia]

"Don't say 'lazy'" by Youko Hikasa [K-On!]

"Fly Me to the Star" by Starlight Kuku Gumi [Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight]

"For the Love of Life" by David Sylvian [Monster]

"Fuyu Biyori" by Eri Sasaki [Yuru Camp]

"gravity" by Maaya Sakamoto (Composer - Yoko Kanno) [WOLF'S RAIN]

"Groovy!" by Kohmi Hirose [Cardcaptor Sakura]

"Hare Hare Yukai" by Aya Hirano, Minori Chihara, Yuuko Gotou [Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu]

"Hectopascal" by Yuuki Takada, Minako Kotobuki [Bloom Into You]

"homework never ends" by Mawatari Matsuko (JPN), Sara White (ENG) [Yu Yu Hakusho]

"Hyouri Ittai" by Yuzu [Hunter x Hunter]

"I'm Alive" by Becca [Black Butler]

"Infinity" by Yuuri [Sk8 the Infinity]

"Kimi No Shiranai" by Supercell [Bakemonogatari]

"LOST IN PARADISE" by ALI feat. AKLO [Jujutsu Kaisen]

"Magia" by Kalafina [Puella Magi Madoka Magica]

"Mashi Mashi" by NICO Touches the Walls [Haikyuu!!]

"Memosepia" by sajou no hana [Mob Psycho 100]

"Mephisto" by QUEEN BEE [Oshi no Ko]

"Nomic" by ACCAMER [I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss]

"OverThink" by Fan Ka [Link Click]

"Prayer X" by King Gnu [Banana Fish]

"RED" by Survive Said The Prophet [Banana Fish]

"Red:birthmark" by AiNA THE END [Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury]

"Refrain Boy" by ALL OFF [Mob Psycho 100]

"Roundabout" by Yes [JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The Animation]

"Sayonara Bye Bye" by Mawatari Matsuko (JPN), Stephanie Nadolny (ENG) [Yu Yu Hakusho]

"Sayonara-gokko" by amazarashi [Dororo (2019)]

"Shiki no Uta" by Minmi [Samurai Champloo]

"Shikisai" by yama [SPYxFAMILY]

"Shissou" by LAST ALLIANCE [Ouran High School Host Club]

"Shubidubi☆Sweets Time" by Miyamoto Kanako [Precure: KiraKira Pretty Cure A La Mode]

"Shunkan Sentimental" by SCANDAL [Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]

"Sore wa Chiisana Hikari no Youna" by Sayuri [Erased (Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi)]

"SPLASH FREE" by STYLE FIVE [Free!]

"Stand By Me" by the peggies [Sarazanmai]

"Sugar Song and Bitter Step" by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN [Kekkai Sensen]

"Tenchi Gaeshi" by NICO Touches the Walls [Haikyuu!!]

"The Real Folk Blues" by The Seatbelts feat. Mai Yamane [Cowboy Bebop]

"Torches" by Aimer [Vinland Saga]

"Trust Me" by Yuya Matsushita [Durarara!!]

"Truth" by Ruka Yumi [Revolutionary Girl Utena]

"Uso" by SID [Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]

"Virtual Star Embryology" by Maki Kamiya [Revolutionary Girl Utena]

"Wareta Ringo" by Risa Taneda [Shin Sekai Yori]

"Wind" by Akeboshi [Naruto]

"You Only Live Once" by Hatano Wataru [Yuri!!! on ICE]

"Zetsubou Billy" by Maximum the Hormone [Death Note]

"Zzz" by Sayaka Sasaki [Nichijou]

[nimbusnomade]

35+ Awesome Japanese Winter Words

Fuyu (冬)

 Fuyu is the Japanese word for winter. It’s one of the four seasons in Japan. The other Japanese seasons are haru (spring), natsu (summer) and aki (autumn).

Samui (寒い)

Samui means cold in Japanese – and it is one of the most useful Japanese words for winter! If you’re in Japan during the winter months, you will hear almost every conversation start with samui desu ne – cold, isn’t it!

Yuki (雪)

Yuki is the Japanese word for snow. Snow is a symbol of winter in Japan, the same as many other northern hemisphere countries.

Japan is a large country with several different climates, so it doesn’t snow everywhere in Japan. The northern regions (especially Hokkaido) can be covered in snow for several months each year. But other parts of Japan (especially south of Tokyo) rarely see snow. Still, snow is a popular theme for winter cards, art and decorations.

Here are a few other snow related words in Japanese for you:

大雪 (oo yuki) – heavy snow

初雪 (hatsu yuki) – the first snow of the season

雪遊び（yuki asobi） – playing in the snow

雪合戦 (yuki gassen) – snow ball fight

雪祭り (yuki matsuri) – snow festival. The most famous snow festival is held in Sapporo, Hokkaido each February.

Kazahana (風花)

Kazahana is the Japanese word for snow flurry. If you are studying kanji, you might recognise the two characters that make up this word – 風 (kaza, wind) and 花 (hana, flowers). So a flurry of snowflakes is like little white flowers drifting in the wind. What a romantic image!

Ski (スキー)

Skiing is a popular winter hobby in Japan. The Japanese word スキー (ski) has been borrowed from other languages, so it’s easy to remember! It is written in katakana – the Japanese script used for foreign loan words.

Yukimi (雪見)

If you already know something about Japanese culture, you probably know that in Japan, people love to honour the changing seasons with different rituals that celebrate nature. Maybe you’ve heard of hanami – the spring time tradition of going to view the cherry blossoms. Well, yukimi means viewing the snow! Japanese people will often take the time to drink tea while admiring the snow.

Yukidaruma (雪だるま)

Yukidaruma means snowman in Japanese. Just like any other country, children love to build cute snowmen when it snows.The first part of the word, yuki, means snow. The second part, daruma, is a kind of round Japanese doll. Yukidaruma do look more like a ‘daruma’ than a ‘man’!

Bonus word: yukiusagi (雪うさぎ)

As well as snowmen, Japanese children love to make yukiusagi – snow bunnies! Usagi means rabbit in Japanese. Yuki usagi are smaller and easier to make than snowmen. Usually they are decorated with red berries for eyes and green leaves for ears.

Shirokuma (白くま)

Shirokuma means polar bear. Literally, it means white (shiro) bear (kuma). There aren’t any polar bears living in Japan, but a lot of people love them because they look cute, so they are kind of a symbol of winter and snow.

Kurisumasu (クリスマス)

Kurisumasu is Christmas in Japanese. It’s written in katakana, and of course it comes from the English word Christmas. Merry Christmas in Japanese is メリークリスマス (merii kurisumasu).

Christmas is not a big event in Japan because the country does not have a big Christian population. In fact, December 25th is a normal working day.

And it’s not considered a family day like in other countries. Christmas (or more especially, Christmas Eve) are actually thought of as romantic days in Japan! Christmas Eve is the hottest date night of the year – similar to Valentine’s day.

However, lately celebrating a western-style Christmas is becoming more and more popular in Japan.

Learn about some unique Japanese Christmas traditions here!

Oshougatsu (お正月)

Oshougatsu is New Year in Japanese. As we mentioned, New Year is much bigger than Christmas in Japan. In fact, many people consider it to be the most important holiday in the year. A new year represents a fresh start, and new hopes for the year ahead.

Most companies in Japan are closed from January 1 to January 3, and sometimes longer, to allow employees to spend time with their families.

The New Year period is typically a family time in Japan, with lots of traditions and special food.

Here are some other words associated with the New Year in Japan:

大晦日 (oomisoka) – Oomisoka means New Year’s Eve in Japanese.

年越しそば (toshikoshi soba)  – Toshikoshi soba is one of many traditional dishes served at New Year in Japan. Soba are buckwheat noodles, and toshikoshi is another word for New Year. They are traditionally eaten on New Years Eve because the long shape symbolises long life.

おせち (osechi)  – This is traditional food served on New Year’s day. All the ingredients of the meal have some special meaning for good luck over the next year.

 初夢 (hatsuyume)  – the first dream of the New Year

年玉 (otoshidama)  – New Year’s gift, typically money given as a gift to children at New Year in red envelopes

年賀状 (nengajou)  – New Year’s greetings cards

There are actually different greetings, depending on whether you say it before or after the new year!

Hatsumode  (初詣)

Hatsumōde is an important New Year tradition in many Japanese families. It means the first visit to a shrine or temple in the New Year. Many people try to go on January 1st, but any time in the first three days is OK.

Due to this tradition, Shinto shrines in Japan are extremely busy in early January. Many of them have a kind of festival feel, with food stalls outside and lots of activity.

During hatsumode, people buy omikuji (pieces of paper with fortunes written on) and pray for their wishes for the next year.

Kotatsu (炬燵)

If you’ve ever spent a winter in Japan, the kotatsu will be your best friend! A kotatsu is a low table with a heater underneath. You can sit around it to keep your legs warm and toasty in the cold weather. They usually have a blanket attachment to keep the heat in, and for extra coziness.

Most Japanese homes don’t have central heating, so the kotatsu is an important way to stay warm in winter! Usually the family will all gather around the kotatsu and hang out on cold evenings.

Mikan (みかん)

Mikan are Japanese mandarin oranges. They are a common winter fruit in Japan. They are grown in the south of Japan, especially Ehime prefecture. It has lots of vitamins and keeps people healthy in winter.

Japanese people especially love to enjoy mikan while sitting around the kotatsu!

Here are some other winter foods in Japan:

ゆず (yuzu) – another Japanese citrus fruit with a kind of lime/lemon taste

かぼちゃ (kabocha) – Japanese pumpkin

おでん (oden) – kind of stew with boiled ingredients such as boiled eggs, fishpaste cakes, potatoes and daikon

鍋 (nabe) – a warming hotpot dish full of vegetables and meat or fish

焼き芋 (yakiimo) – roasted sweet potatoes which are often sold by street vendors or food trucks in winter

いちご (ichigo) – strawberries. Strawberries are considered summer fruits in many other countries, but in Japan they are most popular in winter.

もち (mochi) – rice cake sold and eaten especially at new year, and also used in new year decorations.

Fuyu gomori (冬ごもり)

Do you like to escape from the world and stay indoors all winter? If so, you’re taking part in fuyu gomori – winter confinement or hibernation! The kotatsu is the perfect place for fuyu gomori 🙂

Setsubun (節分)

Setsubun is considered the last day of winter and beginning of spring in Japan. It takes place on February 3rd.

On setsubun, many Japanese families take part in a tradition to scare away evil spirits before the new season starts. For this tradition, the father of the household dresses up in a demon mask and comes to the front door of the house. The other family members throw soy beans at him, shouting 鬼は外! 福は内! (Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!), which means ‘Demon out! Luck in!’, to chase him away. This is supposed to bring happiness for the new year.

Some people also attend a shrine on this day, or eat a special sushi roll called ehō-maki facing a lucky direction.

[kotokage]

Fuyu no Hana

link to striped kimono mod found here

[konjaku]

小菫[Kosumire] Viola japonica

The year has changed, yet they are still blooming.

冬のすみれ ほろびをみつる 冬にして 何をもとめて あこがるゝ 何のなさけに 咲󠄁きいでし 路の芝生に 身をしめて 優しからずや 冬すみれ ちいさくはしき 綠はの 心臟に似るも なづかしく 春のすみれに 較ぶれば 誠にうすき いろなれど そはうた人に 聞きねかし 心のまゝを あらはせる あせゆく戀の それにして もとよりな���ば 伶人の 夢にいるべき はえもなく さびしき冬に あれいでゝ 優し胡蝶の 戀もなく ひとひを風に なぶられて 夕もろくも しをれ行く あゝ北風よ 心して つよくなふきそ この花に 幸にはぐれし 若き子の ちひさき夢も こもるらん

[Fuyu no sumire Horobi wo mitsuru fuyu ni shite nani wo motomete akogaruru michi no shibafu ni mi wo shimete yasashikarazu ya fuyu sumire Chiisaku hashiki midoriha no kokoro ni niru mo nazukashiku haru no sumire ni kurabureba makoto ni usuki iro naredo so wa utabito ni kikine kashi Kokoro no mama wo arawaseru ase yuku koi no sore ni shite Motoyori nareba taoyame no yume ni iru beki hae mo naku sabishiki fuyu ni are idete yasashi kochō no koi mo naku hitohi wo kaze ni naburarete yūbe morokumo shiore yuku Aa kitakaze yo kokoroshite tsuyoku na fukiso kono hana ni sachi ni hagureshi wakaki ko no chiisaki yume mo komoru ran]

Violet in winter Even though it is winter full of extinction, what did it emerge for? what was on its mind, and did it start to bloom? Settling in the lawn grasses on the roadside, the winter violet must be kind hearted. Its small, lovely green leaves resemble the shape of a heart, which is also attractive, and compared to the spring violets, very pale in color, though. Ask poets about it, they will express their hearts as they wish, overlaid with the fading love. Naturally, it's a willowy (female) musician's without the appearance of being in a dream, emerging in the harsh winter, no tender love of butterflies, it is tossed about by the wind all day long, and fades fragilely in the evening. Ah, north wind, be mindful, and don't blow too hard on this flower (because) the dream of young children who have strayed from happiness would also be contained in it. By 池野 秋花[Ikeno Akika|Shūka] Source: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/864220/1/201

[shadowtopaz]

Ryuryu ni Natsu, Ichirin no Hana! Cure Heat a Single Flower, Flourishing in Summer! Cure Heat Tsukinukeru Fuyu, Ichirin no Hana! Cure Snowdrop a Single Flower, Piercing through Winter! Cure Snowdrop

Cookie! Fushigi to Hogo wo! Cure Melaço, Dekiagare Cookie! with Wonder and Protection! Cure Melaço, ready to serve Kkul-Tarae! Warudjie to Inbi wo! Cure Floss, Dekiagare Kkul-Tarae! with Guile and Mystery! Cure Floss, ready to serve

Decided to draw some of my characters as Precure. Some I think Cure Floss is the only one I've shown here though, Youko Ajilang-i. In brief, Heat is Youko's half-brother, Seung Pirka; Snowdrop is Seung's daughter, Fuyuki, and Melaço is just an unrelated person, Zoraida Gorgon.