Fubutsushi (a poetic expression for certain events or things) (風物詩)
Fubutsushi means events or things unique to a season--natural phenomena, tastes, living things, and street vendors-- that characterize the season in people's mind. Fubutsushi covers a wide range of things and differs from words restricted as kigo (a season word) for haiku (Japanese seventeen-syllable poem) in that Fubutsushi refers to things with which a season in Japan appeals to the mind of our modern people. Fubutsushi also commonly ranges from things found nationwide to things in a limited region such as festivals and is used to express the coming of a season and seasonal turning points.
The following illustrates nationwide Fubutushi that appear on news, weather forecasts, newspapers and so on.
New Year
Nengajo (New Year's card) - Otoshidama (New Year's gift) - Kadomatsu (New Year's pine decoration) - Setsubun (the traditional end of winter) - the seven herbs of spring
Events
Hatsumode (the practice of visiting a shrine or temple at the beginning of the New Year) - the first calligraphy of the year - Hakone Ekiden
Spring
The first spring gale - pattern formed by snow still lying on a mountainside after the spring thaw - a school rucksack - new employees - Annual National Senior High School Volleyball Tournament - the Invitational High School Baseball Tournament - a doll displayed at the Girls' Festival, (a doll displayed at the Dolls' Festival) - Koinobori (carp streamer) - May depression syndrome
Plants
cherry tree - Chinese milk vetch - white clover - rape blossom
Animals
butterfly - shirouo sardine - swallow
Food
strawberry - cherry - bonito - tea
Events
the graduation ceremony - cherry blossom viewing - entrance ceremony - open burning - puppet festival - the Boys' Festival - Golden Week (early-May holiday season in Japan) - Mother's Day - rice planting
Summer
Weather
the rainy season (the spring rainy season) - thunder cloud - water mirage - sudden evening shower (rain) - squall - thunderstorm - sunstroke - sweat - blazing sky
summer exodus
uchimizu (watering) - uchiwa (round fan) - sensu (folding fan) - electric fan - air conditioner - a bamboo blind - wind chime - evening cool - highland - dabbling in water - pool
Sea
the formal start of the sea - bathing season - beach - the game of "split-the-watermelon"
Plants
asagao (common morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea) - sunflower
Animals
an ayu (a sweetfish) - cicadas (chorus of cicadas) - Japanese dynastid beetle - firefly - mosquito (mosquito coil, kaya (mosquito net)) - register marks - goldfish
Human
straw hat - sandals - a pair of breeches - yukata (light cotton kimono) - sunglasses - afternoon nap
Events
summer vacation - National High School Baseball Championship - school camp - seaside school - summer time - the Bon Festival - Shoryonagashi (floating lanterns or offerings for the spirits of the deceased) - the radio gymnastic exercises - Tanagyo (sutra for the Bon festival)
Festivals
fireworks - Bon Festival Dance - a night stall - water balloon
yurei (ghost)
Kaidan (ghost stories) - test of courage
Food
shaved ice (flavored with syrup) - ice cream - Hiyashi chuka (cold noodle which is topped with egg, roast pork, bean sprouts, tomato, and cucumber) - somen (Japanese vermicelli) - beer - watermelon
Autumn
Weather
thunder - typhoon - the first frost of the year - the first snow on a mountain - cirrocumulus - Indian summer - cold blast
Events
dancing (athletic festival) - card game - a NEET (young people Not in Education, Employment or Training) - autumn equinox - rice reaping
Tsukimi (moon watching) - jugoya (night of the full moon) - tsukimi dango (moon-viewing dumplings) - moon-viewing sake
Plants
autumn leaves - a maple tree - ginkgo - fallen leaves - Japanese pampas grass - Japanese clover - the seven flowers of autumn - lycoris - cosmos - chrysanthemum - gentian - Eupatorium fortunei - Chinese bellflower - dahlia - Valerian Family - cockscomb - fragrant olive - thistle - Canada goldenrod
Animals
Mushi no ne (sound of insect) - cricket - bell cricket - migratory bird - Akatonbo (red dragonfly)
Food
pear - apple - Japanese persimmon - ginkgo - sweet potato - Japanese chestnut - matsutake mushroom - new rice
mackerel - a saury, a Pacific saury - salmon - sardines
Winter
snow - hoarfrost - ice pillar - skiing - ice skating - Christmas tree - Arima Kinen Nakayama Grand Prix - bonfire - illuminations - treading barley plants - Hakone Ekiden - wooly aphid
Events
Swimming in winter
The year end.
Events
an end-of-year general cleaning - All Japan Inter-High School EKIDEN