The Painting in the Corridor and the First Morning of Minazuki — Seeing the Seasons Through Their Names — 2026/6/1 (Mon) R8

My day began once again with the morning radio exercises.

The air was still a little cool. Even though it has become warm enough during the day to wear short sleeves, the mornings sometimes make me want a light jacket. The difference in temperature reminds me that the seasons are gradually changing.

Today is June 1st.

Until yesterday, June was simply another month on the calendar. This morning, however, I greeted it with a different feeling.

On the dining schedule at the residence, I often see words such as "Minazuki Gozen" (June Seasonal Meal). I had noticed the name before, but to be honest, I never really knew what it meant.

Today I learned that "Minazuki" is the traditional Japanese name for June.

I also discovered that each month has its own traditional name: Mutsuki for January, Kisaragi for February, Yayoi for March, Uzuki for April, Satsuki for May, Fumizuki for July, Hazuki for August, Nagatsuki for September, Kannazuki for October, Shimotsuki for November, and Shiwasu for December.

Each name reflects the seasons, nature, and the lives of people in earlier times.

Some of the names were familiar, while others were words I had heard without fully understanding them.

What I found especially interesting was that names such as Hazuki and Nagatsuki come from the old lunar calendar, so their seasonal meanings do not always match our modern sense of the year.

Thinking about this made me realize that the meal schedule at the residence is more than just a timetable. In its own way, it offers small opportunities to learn about the seasons.

This morning, I walked through the connecting corridor and looked at the paintings displayed there.

I had seen them many times before, yet somehow they felt different today after learning about Minazuki.

It has now been one month since I moved to Matsuyama.

Satsuki, the month of May, has come to an end, and Minazuki has begun.

The past month has been filled with new experiences—hospital visits, learning to ride my three-wheeled bicycle, banking procedures, morning exercises, and mahjong classes.

As I look back on the month that has passed, I also find myself thinking about the month ahead.

What kind of scenery will I be seeing by the end of Minazuki?

With that thought in mind, I welcomed the first morning of June.

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