From Aug 28, 2026 to Sep 1, 2026, the corresponding solar term in the Nijūshi Sekki (24 solar terms) is 処暑(Shosho), and the corresponding microseason in the Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons) is 天地始粛(Tenchi hajimete samushi).

What Is “Tenchi hajimete samushi” (天地始粛)?

"Tenchi Hajimete Samushi" (天地始粛, "Heaven and Earth Begin to Grow Still") is one of the traditional Japanese seasonal markers known as the Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons). It corresponds to the second microseason within Shosho (処暑) in the Nijūshi Sekki (24 solar terms). Occurring each year around August 28 to September 1, it marks the time when the intense heat of summer finally begins to ease and all things in heaven and earth start to settle into a calmer, more restrained state. The character "粛" (shuku) carries meanings such as "to tighten," "to become calm," or "to grow solemn." It suggests that the air gradually becomes clearer and that the first subtle signs of autumn begin to emerge. Although lingering summer heat remains during the day, cool breezes can be felt in the mornings and evenings, poetically expressing nature's quiet transition from summer to autumn. During this season, many signs of approaching autumn begin to appear: rice plants start to ripen, dragonflies fill the air, and the sky grows higher, deeper, and clearer blue. The sounds of insects also shift from the cries of summer cicadas to the songs of autumn crickets and bell crickets, making this a time when the changing seasons can be felt through all five senses. The Shichijūni Kō (72 microseasons) embody Japan's uniquely delicate awareness of the seasons by naming subtle changes in nature approximately every five days. "Tenchi Hajimete Samushi" is a phrase that gently invites us to pause amid the busyness of daily life and quietly sense the beginning of autumn.

List of Japan’s 72 Microseasons