Micro-Season: “Haze First Covers The Sky” (2023)

We have entered the micro-season of “Haze First Covers the Sky”. This is the second micro-season of the mini-season Rain Water.  All the micro-seasons within Rain Water are:

• The Earth Becomes Damp (Feb 19-Feb 23)
• Haze First Covers the Sky (Feb. 24 – Feb 28)
• Plants Show Their First Buds (Mar 01 – Mar 04)

These seasons were established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai and are specific to Japan. However, just because the calendar focuses on Japan doesn’t mean it isn’t applicable to others.  No matter where you live you can use these seasons as a starting point for your personal exploration of the world around you. 

To celebrate this season, we will learn about haze and other related spring kigo.  Then we will read seasonal haiku from Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki.

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What Is Haze?

Haze is a term used to describe one of the seven common atmospheric obscuration types.  An atmospheric obscuration is any phenomenon, other than precipitation, that reduces horizontal visibility.  Besides haze, the other common obscurations are fog, mist, smoke, volcanic ash, dust, and sand.⁽¹⁾

When “haze” is used to describe an atmospheric phenomenon, it is referring to the suspension of tiny dry particles (about 0.1 microns) in the air that can not be seen or felt individually, but when taken as a collective they can reduce visibility. A hazy sky usually has a blueish, brownish, or yellowish tint to it. ⁽²⁾ 

Haze Or Mist?

This tint is one of the ways you can tell haze from a mist.  Another factor used to distinguish haze from a mist is the difference between air temperature and dew point. If “the difference between the air temperature and dew point is greater than 3°F (1.7°C) the obscuration is usually called ‘haze’”.⁽¹⁾ Likewise, if the difference between the air temperature and dew point is less than 3°F (1.7°C)  the obscuration is called “mist”.

What Is Mist?

Mist is the suspension of tiny water molecules in the atmosphere that reduces horizontal visibility to less than “7 miles (11 km) but more than or equal to 5/8th mile (1 km)”.⁽¹⁾ If the reduction in visibility caused by water molecules is less than 5/8th of a mile (1 km) the obscuration is then called “fog”.  

What Is Heat Haze?

There is another atmospheric phenomenon that sounds similar to haze called heat haze  Heat haze, which may also be called heat shimmer, is an optical phenomenon where light rays bend and distort visual images.  In heat haze, the distortion of the images is caused by looking through heated air.  This distortion can occur above concrete, around fires, or neat exhaust of large engines.  Although this phenomenon contains the word “haze”, heat haze and haze are very different.

Heat haze is identified as an inferior mirage. An inferior mirage is a mirage that appears below, instead of above, the actual object you are observing.  This is different from haze, which we already know is classified as an atmospheric obscuration. Although I would think of heat haze, or heat shimmer, as a summer kigo, it is listed as a spring kigo in The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Seasonal Words by Kenkichi Yamamoto.

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Seasonal Haiku

The authors of the 72-season app state that during “Haze First Covers the Sky” the clouds and smoke “seem to flow rather than rise straight up”.⁽⁵⁾ The flowing smoke could be an indication of a process known as Temperature Inversion.  With temperature inversion, the colder air of the valleys is “capped” by a layer of warmer air above.⁽⁴⁾  The warmer air will actually keep the smoke from rising and will force it to disperse horizontally.  The smoke stays closer to the ground until the sun is able to warm up those colder parts of the earth and the smoke can dissipate. 

Haze, Spring Haze, and Haziness are all listed as spring kigo in the World Kigo Database.  Mist and Oboro (Oboro is a haze that occurs in the evening) are also spring kigo. Fog, however, is an autumn kigo.

Dr. Gabi Greve also points out that,  “Misty memory, hazy mind and such use of adjectives are not considered kigo.”⁽⁶⁾

With all this in mind, let’s read some haiku!

Basho

surely it is spring
in the nameless mountains
a thin haze
(translated by Jane Reichhold) 

the setting sun
a thread of heat haze
as remnant
(translated by Jane Reichhold)

Buson

Morning haze:
as in a painting of a dream,
men go their ways.
(translated by Harold G. Henderson)

Issa

even at dawn
spring haze hovers...
Sumida River
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

bit by bit
more haze, more moon...
secluded temple
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

Shiki

the shadow of a halberd
in the haze -
moon on the bridge
(retrieved from WKD)

A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon with a blade or battle axe on the top.  A Japanese halberd, also known as naginata, is described by Dr. Gabi Greve as:

“a wooden shaft with a curved blade on the end; it is similar to the Chinese guan dao or the European glaive. Naginata often have a sword-like hand guard (tsuba) between the blade and shaft when mounted in a koshirae. The 30 cm to 60 cm long naginata blade is forged in the same manner as traditional Japanese swords. The blade has a long tang (nakago) which is inserted in the shaft (nagaye or ebu). The blade is removable and is secured by means of a wooden peg (mekugi) that passes through a hole (mekugi-ana) in both the nakago and the nagaye (ebu).” Edo- The Edopedia

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Haiku Invitation

This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu that references haze or spring mists.  

Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your own page and link back to this post. I can’t wait to read what you write!  

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References: 

1. “Obscuration Types”; National Weather Service
2. “Haze”; Brittanica
3. “Mirage”; Wikipedia
4. “Temperature Inversion and Smoke” USDA.gov
5. 72 season App. Kurashikata.com
6. “Fog, Mist, Haze, and More”; World Kigo Database
7. “Naginata – Halberd”; Edo – The Edopedia, Dr. Gabi Greve

 Basho’s haiku was retrieved from Matsuo Bashō’s haiku poems in romanized Japanese with English translations. Issa’s haiku was retrieved from David G. Lanoue’s HaikuGuy.com.  Buson’s haiku was retrieved from the Haiku of Yosa Buson by Terebess Asia Online (TAO). Shiki’s haiku was retrieved from the World Kigo Database.