72 Seasons: Shichijūniko

In old Japan, a year was not four seasons — it was seventy-two.

Every five days or so, the world turns a page: "East wind melts the ice." "Mist starts to linger." "Silkworms wake and eat mulberry." These are the shichijūniko, Japan's 72 micro-seasons — a calendar written not in numbers but in the small movements of wind, birds, plants and light. Above them sit the 24 sekki, the solar terms that mark the deeper rhythm of the year: Risshun, the first spring; Geshi, the summer solstice; Tōji, the longest night.

Shichijūniko brings this calendar to your pocket — and to your home screen.

TODAY'S SEASON

- The current micro-season with its poetic name, reading and meaning

- The current solar term (sekki) and where you are inside it

- Exact dates for each season, computed astronomically from the sun's position

- A countdown to the next turning of the season

HOME SCREEN WIDGET

- See today's micro-season at a glance, right on your home screen

- The widget quietly changes every five days — a tiny surprise of the calendar

THE 72 SEASONS GUIDE

- All 72 micro-seasons and 24 solar terms in one browsable almanac

- Readings, romaji and a short story behind each name

- Perfect companions for haiku, seasonal letters, tea, photography and walks

YOUR SEASONAL JOURNAL

- Leave a note and a photo on any of the 72 seasons

- Look back on the same season a year later and see what you noticed

- Everything stays on your device

BOTH HEMISPHERES

- Living south of the equator? Switch to Southern and the seasons flip to match your sky

- The 72 seasons realign to your own spring, summer, autumn and winter

Shichijūniko works completely offline, collects no data, and needs no permissions. Open it once a week — or just glance at your home screen — and feel the year turning.