春
はる
haru
= spring (the season)
春 (haru) is the Japanese word for spring, covering March through May — but in Japan, it carries a weight far beyond just weather. It is the season when the school year begins, new employees start their careers, and cherry blossoms signal a collective national exhale after winter.
春 refers to the spring season (March–May) in Japan. Unlike the English word ‘spring,’ which is primarily meteorological, 春 is deeply tied to social and emotional rhythms unique to Japan’s April-start calendar. It conveys renewal and anticipation — the feeling of something new about to begin. In casual speech, people use 春 warmly and nostalgically: “春っていいよね”(Spring is just so nice, isn’t it?). In formal writing, 春 appears in set phrases like “春の訪れ”(the arrival of spring) used in business letters and greetings. The derived verb 春めく (harumeku) means ‘to feel or look spring-like,’ used when the air first starts to soften in late February.
Learners sometimes confuse 春 (haru) with 張る (haru, to stretch/post), which sounds identical. Context and kanji make these instantly distinguishable in writing, but in speech, pay attention to the sentence topic. Also note that 春休み (haru yasumi, spring break) in Japan falls in late March to early April — different from Western spring breaks in February or March. If you want to say ‘it feels like spring,’ use 春めいてきた (harumekite kita) rather than translating literally.
The character 春 is composed of 艹 (grass/plant radical, representing sprouting vegetation), 屯 (meaning gathering or budding), and 日 (sun) at the bottom. Together they paint a picture of plants gathering energy from the sun and pushing through the earth — the precise visual metaphor for what happens each March across Japan. This layered construction makes 春 one of the more poetic kanji at the N5 level.
Everyday use
春になったら一緒に花見しようよ。
Haru ni nattara issho ni hanami shiyou yo.
When spring comes, let’s go cherry blossom viewing together.
Casual / Social Media
春ってなんか好きだな〜。新しいことが始まる感じがして。
Haru tte nanka suki da na~. Atarashii koto ga hajimaru kanji ga shite.
I just really love spring. It feels like something new is starting.
Formal / Cultural context
春の訪れを心よりお慶び申し上げます。
Haru no otozure o kokoro yori oyorokobi moushiagemasu.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations on the arrival of spring.
In Japan, spring is inseparable from new beginnings because the academic and corporate calendars both start on April 1st. Elementary school entrance ceremonies, university matriculations, and company induction days all cluster in early April, meaning 春 carries a collective sense of threshold-crossing that English speakers rarely associate with a season. This is why phrases like 「春から社会人」(entering the workforce this spring) resonate so strongly — the season itself marks the transition.
花見 (hanami, cherry blossom viewing) is the defining ritual of 春 in Japan. When sakura trees bloom — typically late March to mid-April depending on the region — groups gather beneath them for outdoor meals and drinks, a tradition dating back over a thousand years. Weather apps in Japan track the 桜前線 (sakura zensen, cherry blossom front) as it moves northward, and many people plan 花見 parties weeks in advance. The fleeting nature of cherry blossoms, which fall within about two weeks, reinforces a broader Japanese aesthetic around 春: beauty intensified by impermanence.