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2012 Japanese almanac: solar terms, lunisolar months, rokuyō

Sexagenary year壬辰
Spring equinoxMar 2014:14 JST
Autumn equinoxSep 2223:49 JST
Leap monthleap M3Apr 21

The 24 solar terms (JST)

TermLongitudeDateDayTime
Shōkan (Minor cold)285°Jan 6Fri07:44
Daikan (Major cold)300°Jan 21Sat01:10
Risshun (Start of spring)315°Feb 4Sat19:22
Usui (Rain water)330°Feb 19Sun15:18
Keichitsu (Awakening of insects)345°Mar 5Mon13:21
Shunbun (Spring equinox)0°Mar 20Tue14:14
Seimei (Clear and bright)15°Apr 4Wed18:06
Kokuu (Grain rain)30°Apr 20Fri01:12
Rikka (Start of summer)45°May 5Sat11:20
Shōman (Grain buds)60°May 21Mon00:16
Bōshu (Grain in ear)75°Jun 5Tue15:26
Geshi (Summer solstice)90°Jun 21Thu08:09
Shōsho (Minor heat)105°Jul 7Sat01:41
Taisho (Major heat)120°Jul 22Sun19:01
Risshū (Start of autumn)135°Aug 7Tue11:31
Shosho (End of heat)150°Aug 23Thu02:07
Hakuro (White dew)165°Sep 7Fri14:29
Shūbun (Autumn equinox)180°Sep 22Sat23:49
Kanro (Cold dew)195°Oct 8Mon06:12
Sōkō (Frost’s descent)210°Oct 23Tue09:14
Rittō (Start of winter)225°Nov 7Wed09:26
Shōsetsu (Minor snow)240°Nov 22Thu06:50
Taisetsu (Major snow)255°Dec 7Fri02:19
Tōji (Winter solstice)270°Dec 21Fri20:12

Start of each lunisolar month (new moon day)

MonthStartsDays
1Jan 23 (Mon)30
2Feb 22 (Wed)29
3Mar 22 (Thu)30
leap 3Apr 21 (Sat)30
4May 21 (Mon)30
5Jun 20 (Wed)29
6Jul 19 (Thu)30
7Aug 18 (Sat)29
8Sep 16 (Sun)29
9Oct 15 (Mon)30
10Nov 14 (Wed)29
11Dec 13 (Thu)30

Seasonal days

NameDateTime
Winter doyō beginsJan 1802:28
Spring doyō beginsApr 1623:33
88th nightMay 1–
Nyūbai (rainy-season start)Jun 1020:55
HangeshōJul 119:46
Summer doyō beginsJul 1915:37
210th dayAug 31–
220th daySep 10–
Autumn doyō beginsOct 2008:51

Days of each rokuyō

Spring equinox date, 1951–2050

Computed from the JPL DE421 ephemeris with Skyfield, in Japan Standard Time. The lunisolar dates follow the traditional Tenpō rules for reference only (the leap month around 2033 is disputed). Rokuyō and the sexagenary cycle are calendar customs, not predictions.

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About this page

In 2012 the spring equinox falls on Mar 20 and the autumn equinox on Sep 22; 12 lunisolar months begin, including leap month 3.