Three Cold Four Warm (san kan shi on)

Apr 4, 2020

Three Cold Four Warm (san kan shi on)

A new concept of those of the western mindset.

The Japanese have an interesting 4-character compound used to describe the weather just around Cherry Blossom season, “san kan shi on”.

What happens is you get 4 nice warm days in a row, and are mislead by Mother Nature into thinking “spring has sprung”.

Not so dear reader, the cold comes back, yes it does, and one would think one had gone all the way back to February! Burrrrrr!!!!!

It is during this time as well, the spring winds really pick up.

There is a bamboo forest behind our house, and I love it when I can hear the bamboo forest rustling, creaking, and groaning under the divine breath of “Fuujin” the god of the winds.

One thing I find more and more, is these marvelous old phrases are now not so well known.

I mentioned “san kan shi on” to my friendly neighborhood farmer, and she said “what’s that?”

Sometimes I find myself explaining the Japanese language, well, to the Japanese themselves.

Nonetheless, I am always extra cheerful when the “san kan shi on” season is upon us here in Japan.

It allows us to understand that spring is near, and we knows in our hearts, as sure as Amaterasu Omikami shines her life giving ray on us, we will soon be planting rice, the sustenance of the Japanese, and Land Of The Rising Son will continue on day be day as it has for millennia.