From May 21, 2026 to May 25, 2026, the corresponding solar term in the Nijūshi Sekki (24 solar terms) is 小満(Shouman), and the corresponding microseason in the Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons) is 蚕起食桑(Kaiko okite kuwa wo hamu).

What Is “Kaiko okite kuwa wo hamu” (蚕起食桑)?

"Kaiko Okite Kuwa wo Hamu" (蚕起食桑) — "Silkworms Awaken and Begin to Feed on Mulberry Leaves" — is one of the Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons), Japan's remarkably nuanced system for capturing the subtle shifts of the natural world. It marks the first microseason of "Shōman" (小満) within the Nijūshi Sekki (24 solar terms), falling approximately between May 21 and May 25 each year. The phrase itself means "the time when silkworms awaken and begin eating mulberry leaves." The silkworm has long been a cornerstone of Japan's sericulture culture, prized as the insect that produces silk thread. This period — when silkworms begin to grow vigorously in the transition from spring to early summer — was a season of great importance in the lives of people in earlier times. The sight of silkworms voraciously consuming mulberry leaves carried with it a sense of life's vitality and a hope for a rich and plentiful harvest. The Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons) is a calendar unique to Japan, marking the small changes in nature and the living world in roughly five-day intervals. Through a phrase like "Kaiko Okite Kuwa wo Hamu", we can glimpse the landscape of old Japan — a world in which human life and the natural world were deeply intertwined. Even today, pausing to notice the rhythms of nature through the lens of these seasonal expressions can bring a quiet richness to our everyday lives.

List of Japan’s 72 Microseasons