Japanese Seasonal Letter Greetings by Month
A month-by-month list of "jikō no aisatsu" — the formal seasonal greeting phrases used to open Japanese letters and business emails, from January's "genkan no kō" to December's "shotō no kō".
January
- Genkan-no-kō (厳寒の候) — used during the coldest stretch of the year.
- Shinshun-no-kō (新春の候) — a celebratory phrase marking the start of the new year.
February
- Risshun-no-kō (立春の候) — used at the calendar's start of spring.
- Yokan-no-kō (余寒の候) — for lingering cold even after the start of spring.
March
- Sōshun-no-kō (早春の候) — used as the first hints of spring appear.
- Keichitsu-no-kō (啓蟄の候) — literally "when hibernating insects emerge."
April
- Yōshun-no-kō (陽春の候) — used for full spring with warm sunshine.
- Ōka-no-kō (桜花の候) — a flowery phrase for cherry blossoms in full bloom.
May
- Shinryoku-no-kō (新緑の候) — used for fresh green leaves in early summer.
- Kunpū-no-kō (薫風の候) — describes a breeze carrying the scent of fresh greenery.
June
- Tsuyu-no-kō (梅雨の候) — used during the rainy season.
- Kōsho-no-kō (向暑の候) — meaning "heading toward the summer heat."
July
- Seika-no-kō (盛夏の候) — used at the peak heat of full summer.
- Mōsho-no-kō (猛暑の候) — for a stretch of especially fierce heat.
August
- Zansho-no-kō (残暑の候) — for lingering heat even after the start of autumn on the calendar.
- Banka-no-kō (晩夏の候) — evokes the closing days of summer.
September
- Shoshū-no-kō (初秋の候) — used as the first hints of autumn appear.
- Shūryō-no-kō (秋涼の候) — describes the growing coolness of autumn.
October
- Shūrei-no-kō (秋冷の候) — used when autumn deepens and the air turns chilly.
- Kōyō-no-kō (紅葉の候) — a vivid phrase for autumn leaves changing color.
November
- Banshū-no-kō (晩秋の候) — evokes the closing days of autumn.
- Kōkan-no-kō (向寒の候) — meaning "heading toward the winter cold."
December
- Shiwasu-no-kō (師走の候) — used for the busy, hurried end of the year.
- Shotō-no-kō (初冬の候) — evokes the very start of winter.
What are Japanese seasonal greetings?
A seasonal greeting ("jikō no aisatsu") is a formal phrase used to open a Japanese letter or business document, capturing the feel of the current season before the writer gets to the point. Built around the pattern "...-no-kō," these phrases describe a season's distinctive climate or imagery in a formal, classical-sounding register, showing consideration for the reader from the very first line. This tool lists the standard seasonal greetings for every month together with their reading and meaning, so you can look one up quickly when drafting an invitation, a letter of apology, or a note to someone of higher standing.
Because the weather shifts even within a single month, the correct phrase often changes between the first half and the second half of the month. A seasonal greeting is placed right after the opening salutation (such as "Haikei") and leads into a line wishing the recipient continued health or prosperity, with the letter finishing on a closing word that matches the opening one, such as "Keigu."
How to use this seasonal greeting list
- Pick a month Filter the list down to the month you are writing in, or the month your letter is expected to arrive.
- Choose a greeting from the list Compare the candidates shown and pick the one that matches the formality of your document and the actual weather.
- Check the reading and meaning Read the pronunciation and explanation so you avoid misreading or misusing the phrase.
- Pair it with an opening and closing word Place it right after an opening salutation like "Haikei," continue into the body text, and finish with a matching closing word.
Tips for getting more out of it
- A seasonal greeting normally follows the opening salutation (like "Haikei") and leads into a line wishing the recipient prosperity, such as "...and I hope your company continues to thrive."
- The word "kō" (候) means roughly "the season of," and appears at the end of virtually every seasonal greeting. Swapping it for "...no ori" or "...no migiri" produces an equally polite variant.
- In everyday business email, seasonal greetings are often simplified into a season-neutral stock phrase such as "I hope this finds you well" rather than a month-specific expression.
- For personal letters, choosing a phrase that matches the actual weather (e.g. "amid this lingering summer heat") rather than the strict calendar date tends to feel warmer and more sincere.
When to use seasonal greetings
Formal business letters
Open invitations, letters of apology, and other documents to business partners that call for a formal tone.
New Year's cards and seasonal notes
Add a seasonal touch to New Year's greetings or to mid-year and year-end gift-giving letters.
Wedding and ceremonial invitations
Draft wedding invitations, memorial service notices, and other formal ceremonial correspondence.
Studying Japanese composition
Look up the reading and meaning of seasonal phrases and "sōrōbun" style writing as a language-learning reference.
Seasonal greeting glossary
- Kō (候)
- A word meaning roughly "the season of," placed at the end of virtually every seasonal greeting.
- Tōgo (opening salutation)
- A word placed at the very start of a letter, such as "Haikei" or "Kinkei," which is always paired with a matching closing word.
- Ketsugo (closing word)
- A word placed at the end of a letter, such as "Keigu" or "Keihaku," chosen to match the formality of the opening salutation used.
- 24 solar terms (nijūshi sekki)
- A calendar system of Chinese origin dividing the year into 24 segments, such as "keichitsu" and "risshun," from which seasonal greetings borrow their names.
- Sōrōbun
- A classical epistolary style whose sentences end in "...sōrō" — the literary tradition from which seasonal greetings developed.
Frequently asked questions
Side Note — the uniquely Japanese custom of seasonal greetings
Seasonal greetings are a custom unique to Japanese letter-writing culture, expressing the changing seasons at the very start of a letter as a gesture of consideration for the reader. The practice is thought to trace back to Chinese classical letter-writing etiquette, and seasonal phrasing already appears in the correspondence of Heian-period court nobles. It spread among ordinary people during the Edo period through "ōraimono" (textbooks that taught letter-writing), and continued to be taught as a foundation of formal epistolary Japanese well into the modern school era.
Seasonal greetings are deeply intertwined with the "24 solar terms" (nijūshi sekki), a calendar system of Chinese origin that divides the year into 24 segments. Terms like "keichitsu" (the awakening of hibernating insects) and "risshū" (the start of autumn) are lifted directly from this system into greeting phrases — so learning to read seasonal greetings is also a way of learning Japan's traditional sense of the seasons.
While the spread of email and chat has reduced everyday use of letter-specific seasonal greetings, they still play an important role in formal documents — invitations, letters of apology, and correspondence with someone of higher status. Choosing the right seasonal phrase is still considered a marker of refined Japanese writing skill and cultural literacy.