Japanese Seasonal Greetings by Month: Early, Mid and Late January to December, with Example Openings

What a seasonal greeting is: where it goes in a letter and why

A seasonal greeting is a phrase in a Japanese letter's opening that touches on the season or the weather. It goes right after an opening word such as "Haikei" and is followed by the well-being greeting, which expresses pleasure at the reader's health or prosperity. Pausing on the season instead of jumping straight to business is a way of showing consideration for the reader.

The Sino-Japanese style is short and keeps the same form whatever the season, so business documents almost always use it. The conversational style lets you write in your own words and paint the season more vividly, which suits personal letters. Whichever you choose, the well-being greeting follows in the same way.

3 rules for choosing a seasonal greeting

Learning the rules before you look at the list makes choosing easier. Above all, think in terms of the season on the traditional calendar.

1. 1

   Choose by when the letter arrives, not when you send it

   If a letter sent at the end of the month will arrive at the start of the next, use an early-next-month greeting. This avoids a late-month phrase that's already out of season when the letter arrives.

2. 2

   The season switches at Risshun, Rikka, Risshuu and Rittou

   Seasonal greetings follow the calendar of the 24 solar terms (nijuushi sekki). For example, "zansho" (lingering summer heat) is used from Risshuu, the start of autumn (around August 7), and "yokan" (lingering cold) from Risshun, the start of spring (around February 4); neither is used before then.

3. 3

   Avoid words that clash with the actual weather

   Avoid phrases that don't match how things feel where the reader lives, such as "tsuyu no kou" (rainy season) after the rainy season has ended, or "shundan no kou" (warm spring) to someone in snow country. When in doubt, choose versatile words such as "shurei" (autumn chill) or "koukan" (approaching cold).

Solar term dates shift by about 1 day from year to year. In 2026, Risshun is February 4, Rikka May 5, Risshuu August 7 and Rittou November 7. Detailed dates are in the second half of this article and in the table in When to Send Japanese Winter and Summer Greetings.

Seasonal greetings by month (January to June)

The Sino-Japanese words are sorted into early, mid and late month according to when they can be used. Since bold isn't available, the most common words are placed first in each cell. Solar-term words (such as Shoukan or Risshun) can be used from that term's start date until the day before the next term (dates are for 2026).

Seasonal greetings by month (July to December)

If you learn just one word per month for business documents, make it 厳寒 genkan for January, 余寒 yokan for February, 早春 soushun for March, 陽春 youshun for April, 新緑 shinryoku for May, 梅雨 baiu for June, 盛夏 seika for July, 残暑 zansho for August, 初秋 shoshuu for September, 秋冷 shurei for October, 向寒 koukan for November and 師走 shiwasu for December. But words swap with the neighbouring months at the start and end of each month, so check the dates in the tables above.

Words that easily go out of season, and when they switch

The most common mistake with seasonal greetings is to keep using an old word past a seasonal boundary. It helps to remember when the following words switch.

Complete openings joined to the well-being greeting

Don't let the seasonal greeting stand alone: run it straight into a well-being greeting that expresses pleasure at how the reader is doing. The wording changes depending on whether the reader is a company or an individual, so it helps to learn them as set combinations.

• For companies, "go-seiei" (prosperity), "go-ryuusei" (flourishing) and "go-hatten" (development) are usual; for individuals, "go-kenshou" (good health) and "go-seishou" (well-being).
• In writing, refer to the reader's company as "kisha" (貴社), not "onsha" (御社, the spoken form).
• Don't put a comma after the opening word; leave one full-width space and then write the seasonal greeting ("Haikei," is wrong).
• End a conversational seasonal greeting with "... desu ga," or "... to narimashita ga," ("Now that ..., ") and run straight into the well-being greeting.

Opening and closing word pairs are listed in Japanese Letter Opening and Closing Word Pairs, and seasonal phrases for the end of a letter, by month and situation, in Japanese Letter Closing Phrases.

Some letters don't use a seasonal greeting

Not every letter includes a seasonal greeting. Considering the reader's feelings, there are situations where opening leisurely with talk of the season isn't appropriate.

How to find today's seasonal greeting quickly

A list is handy for an overview, but when you want to know exactly which greeting suits a letter sent on a given date, a tool that looks it up from the date is faster and more reliable.

1. 1

   Choose the sending date

   Open the Seasonal Greeting and Letter Maker and enter the date you'll send the letter. The "Today" button fills in today's date.

2. 2

   Check that day's solar term and pentad

   The screen shows which of the 24 solar terms and 72 pentads the day falls in (for example, October 18 is the last pentad of Kanro, "Crickets chirp at the door").

3. 3

   Choose Sino-Japanese or conversational style

   The seasonal greetings usable on that date are listed with their approximate usable periods. You can also switch "kou" in "XX no kou" to "migiri".

4. 4

   Choose the reader and purpose to build a letter

   Choose the reader (company or client / senior or former teacher / friend or relative) and the purpose, and you get a text complete with opening word, well-being greeting, closing remarks and closing word, which you can copy or print in vertical or horizontal layout.

If you paste a letter you've already written into "Check your letter", it reads the date in the text and also checks whether the seasonal greeting is out of season.

FAQ

How do seasonal greetings differ between early, mid and late month?

The words change as the season progresses. In October, for example, early month uses 秋冷 (shurei) or 秋晴 (shuusei), mid-month onward 錦秋 (kinshuu) or 紅葉 (kouyou), and late month after Soukou (around October 23) 晩秋 (banshuu) or 霜降 (soukou). Many words cross month boundaries, so choose by the date the letter arrives, not when you send it.

Which seasonal greetings are safe for business documents?

Words with long usable periods are safe. Typical choices are 厳寒 (January), 余寒 (February), 早春 (March), 陽春 (April), 新緑 (May), 梅雨 (June), 盛夏 (July), 残暑 (August), 初秋 (September), 秋冷 (October), 向寒 (November) and 師走 (December). Watch out for the switchovers at the start and end of each month, though.

Should I use the Sino-Japanese or the conversational style?

The Sino-Japanese style (XX no kou) suits formal letters and business documents to clients and seniors, and the conversational style suits letters to former teachers, relatives and friends. You don't need to use both in one letter.

Can I use "zansho no kou" as soon as August starts?

You can once Risshuu has passed (August 7 in 2026, August 8 in 2027). From about August 1 to 6 it's still summer on the calendar, so use words such as 盛夏 (seika) or 猛暑 (mousho).

Do emails need a seasonal greeting?

Business emails usually skip the seasonal greeting and start with "Itsumo osewa ni natte orimasu" ("Thank you as always for your support"). In emails that double as seasonal greetings or are as formal as a letter, people sometimes add a short conversational line such as "Now that mornings and evenings have turned cold,".