Shōkan (小寒): Minor Cold

What Shōkan means

Shōkan is a setsu (節, “joint”) term: in the eto calendar the Ox month begins on this day. In Four Pillars and Nine Star Ki, the month's eto and star change at Shōkan.

Customs and seasonal food around Shōkan

Around the seven-herb rice porridge of 7 January and Kagami-biraki. In season: the seven spring herbs and pufferfish.

The 72 kō of Shōkan

Each solar term is divided again into three periods of about five days, the 72 kō (七十二候, “microseasons”). The names here follow the 1874 Ryakuhon-reki almanac. The first person to adapt the Chinese names to Japan's own climate was the astronomer Shibukawa Harumi, in the Jōkyō calendar of 1685.

1st kō: Japanese parsley flourishes (芹乃栄)

Japanese parsley (seri) grows vigorously, a kō found only in Japan. Seri is one of the seven spring herbs eaten in porridge on 7 January for good health. Shōkan marks the start of the cold season, the time for midwinter greetings.

2nd kō: Frozen springs start to flow (水泉動)

Springs frozen underground begin to move. In the Senmyō calendar this was the last kō of the winter solstice. It shows that, despite the cold, spring is already stirring underground. Around 11 January comes Kagami-biraki, when the New Year rice cakes are broken and eaten.

3rd kō: Pheasants start to call (雉始雊)

Male pheasants begin calling for mates, a name shared with the Senmyō calendar. The green pheasant is Japan's national bird. Around 15 January is Koshōgatsu, the Little New Year, with red-bean porridge and bonfires of New Year decorations.

See all 24 solar terms and 72 kō, or today’s calendar.