From Jan 30, 2026 to Feb 3, 2026, the corresponding solar term in the Nijūshi Sekki (24 solar terms) is 大寒(Daikan), and the corresponding microseason in the Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons) is 鶏始乳(Niwatori hajimete toya ni tsuku).

What Is “Niwatori hajimete toya ni tsuku” (鶏始乳)?

"Niwatori Hajimete Toya ni Tsuku" (鶏始乳, "Hens Begin to Lay") is one of the Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons), Japan's traditional system of seasonal divisions, corresponding to the period from around January 30 to February 3. The Shichijūni Kō subdivides the Nijūshi Sekki (24 solar terms) into smaller intervals of approximately five days each, capturing 72 subtle shifts in the natural world. This microseason falls as the final phase of "Daikan" (大寒, "Major Cold"), the last of the 24 solar terms in winter, and marks the time when hens begin laying eggs again. Though the cold remains at its most biting, the days are gradually growing longer — and it is this slowly returning light that stirs the hens back into their laying cycle. Chickens are highly sensitive to light; as daylight increases, their internal clocks are activated and egg-laying resumes naturally. Passed down from ancient China, this expression reflects the keen and patient observation of our ancestors, who learned to read the invisible turning of the seasons through the behavior of the creatures closest to them. Today, advances in poultry farming mean that artificial lighting keeps hens laying steadily throughout the year. Yet "Niwatori Hajimete Toya ni Tsuku" endures as a reminder of a time when people lived in close harmony with nature's rhythms — preserving the wisdom and sensibility of the Japanese landscape as it once was. Engaging with the Shichijūni Kō offers a quiet invitation, even amid the busyness of modern life, to pause and attune ourselves to the gradual unfolding of the seasons. "Niwatori Hajimete Toya ni Tsuku" is a distinctly Japanese expression of seasonal feeling — one that finds, within the lingering cold of winter, the first faint stirrings of life reaching toward spring.

List of Japan’s 72 Microseasons