Japanese Months

Besides Japan’s four distinct seasons, each month has its own annual events (年中行事 / nenchū gyōji). Examples include Girls’ Day in March, cherry-blossom viewing in April, Children’s Day in May, and Tanabata in July. While learning the Japanese names for the months, explore the highlights of what Japanese people celebrate each month!

Many beginners in learning Japanese assume that adding the word "month" (がつ) to a number (1 to 12) will result in the correct pronunciation. However, there are three "hidden traps" in Japanese months that, if you read numbers as usual, will lead to mistakes! Below are the parts that the instructor will definitely highlight for students:

• April in Japanese (四月):
  • ❌ Incorrect Pronunciation: Yongatsu
  • ✅ Correct Pronunciation: Shigatsu
  • Reason: In Japanese pronunciation rules, 4 sounds similar to "shi," but actually sounds like "shi" (シ).

• July in Japanese (七月):
  • ❌ Incorrect Pronunciation: Nanagatsu
  • ✅ Correct Pronunciation: Shichigatsu
  • Tip: Like April, July does not use the common pronunciation of "nana" (Nana), but instead reads as "shichi" (Shichi). Be careful not to confuse it with January (いちがつ).

• September in Japanese (九月):
  • ❌ Incorrect Pronunciation: Kyuugatsu
  • ✅ Correct Pronunciation: Kugatsu
  • Tip: The number 9 is usually pronounced "kyuu" (Kyuu) in everyday speech, but in months it uses the short vowel "ku" (Ku).

In Japanese calendars, literature, and seasonal stationery, you will often encounter poetic names alongside the numbers 1 through 12—such as Shiwasu for December or Kannazuki for October. These evocative names are known as Wafūgetsumei (和風月名), originating from the ancient lunisolar calendar used in traditional Japan.

More than just markers of time, these names reflect how people historically perceived seasonal shifts, agricultural cycles, and nature spirits. Although Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar during the Meiji era, these traditional month names remain deeply ingrained in Japanese literature, cultural festivals, and daily aesthetics.

• January｜Mutsuki (睦月 / むつき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of harmony and family gatherings.
  • Origin: Derived from mutsumiau (to be friendly and harmonious), referencing how family and friends gather to celebrate the New Year, share meals, and deepen their emotional bonds.

• February｜Kisaragi (如月 / きさらぎ)
  • Core Meaning: Putting on extra layers of clothes.
  • Origin: The most common theory traces it to Kisaragi (衣更着), meaning "wearing additional clothing" against the lingering winter chill. Another poetic theory suggests Kisaragi (氣更來), referring to the gradual return of warmer air and sprouting plants.

• March｜Yayoi (彌生 / やよい)
  • Core Meaning: The month of lush, sprouting vegetation.
  • Origin: Derived from Iyagoi (彌加生), where Iya means "increasingly" and Oi/Goi means "to grow." It symbolizes early spring, when plant life flourishes everywhere.

• April｜Uzuki (卯月 / うづき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of the Deutzia flower.
  • Origin: Named after the blooming of U-no-hana (Japanese deutzia), a delicate white flower characteristic of mid-spring. Alternative theories suggest it is short for Tanezuki (planting month) or marks the initial month (Uzuki) of the agricultural cycle.

• May｜Satsuki (皐月 / さつき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of rice planting.
  • Origin: "Satsuki" traces back to Sanaezuki (早苗月), the month when young rice seedlings (sanae) are transplanted into paddy fields. The character Sa historically relates to water fields and agricultural spirits.

• June｜Minazuki (水無月 / みなづき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of water / dry month.
  • Origin: In classical Japanese grammar, the particle na functions as a possessive ("of"), making Minazuki "The Month of Water"—referring to flooded rice paddies after transplanting. Conversely, because the old lunisolar June corresponds roughly to modern July, another popular belief suggests it marks the hot, dry season when natural water sources dry up.

• July｜Fumizuki (文月 / ふみづき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of writing and poetry.
  • Origin: Strongly associated with the Tanabata festival, where people write wishes and short poems on paper strips (tanzaku) to hang on bamboo branches. From an agricultural perspective, it also relates to Fuhizuki, the time when rice ears swell with grain.

• August｜Hazuki (葉月 / はづき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of falling leaves.
  • Origin: In the lunisolar calendar, August marked early autumn. Trees began shedding leaves, giving rise to Ha-ochi-zuki (leaf-falling month), shortened to Hazuki. It also marks the period when migratory birds arrive for winter.

• September｜Nagatsuki (長月 / ながつき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of long nights.
  • Origin: As autumn deepens, daylight shrinks and nights lengthen noticeably, earning this period the name Yonagatsuki (night-long month), abbreviated to Nagatsuki.

• October｜Kannazuki (神無月 / かんなづき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of the gods / month without gods.
  • Origin: Using classical grammar, na means "of," signifying "The Month of the Gods." However, popular folklore tells a different story: during this month, Japan's eight million kami (deities) leave their regional shrines nationwide to gather at Izumo Taisha (Izumo Grand Shrine) for an annual assembly. Consequently, the rest of Japan is "godless" (Kannazuki), while the Izumo region calls this exact month Kamiarizuki (神在月)—"The Month of the Gods' Presence."

• November｜Shimotsuki (霜月 / しもつき)
  • Core Meaning: The month of frost.
  • Origin: As temperatures drop significantly and early morning frost coats the ground, the month was named Shimofurizuki (frost-falling month), shortened over time to Shimotsuki.

• December｜Shiwasu (師走 / しわす)
  • Core Meaning: Priests running around.
  • Origin: Year-end rituals, home blessings, and memorial services keep Buddhist priests (shi) bustling from household to household. Even usually serene and composed masters are forced to run (wasu/hashiru) to complete their duties before the year ends.

Besides the elegant "Wafuu Getsumei" (和風月名), Japanese people also have some interesting extensions in their use of months. Knowing these "cold facts" not only makes your Japanese more natural, but also helps you prepare for JLPT exams!

1. "May Sickness" (Gogatsubyo) - The lethargic mood that strikes in May

The new school year and the new fiscal year in Japan both start in April. After a month of adjusting to the new environment, the "Golden Week" (黃金週)—a long holiday from late April to early May—follows. After taking a long break, many students and office workers returning to school or work in May feel a sudden lack of energy, lethargy, or even a depressed mood. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as "May Sickness" (ごがつびょう) in Japanese society.

2. The Difference Between "Month" (月) and "ヶ月" (Ge-month)

〜月（がつ / Gatsu）： Used to express "which month" (specific month). For example: January (いちがつ / Ichigatsu) - "one month."

〜ヶ月（げつ / Geku）： Used to express "how many months" (how many specific months). For example: One year (いちねん / Ichinen) - "one year."

〜ヶ月（かげつ / Kagetsu）： Used to express "how many months" (time length). For example: One month (いっかげつ / Ichikagetsu) - "one month's time."

Example: I lived in Japan for three months (さんかげつ). (I lived in Japan for three months.)

Drag the correct hiragana into the matching English month.

Learning Japanese not only requires learning the 50 basic sounds, but the differences in daily culture can be more easily misleading than grammar! In our school's daily operations, our Japanese teachers and Hong Kong staff often have a "beautiful misunderstanding." Imagine if there is an important meeting on the calendar marked as "2/4," and the staff would naturally assume it is April 2nd (day/month), but the Japanese teacher would see it as February 4th (month/day). The result is that one party misreads the time.