December 12th – December 16th, 2025 is Winter – TAISETSU (Greater snow)-62nd KOU “Bears start hibernating in their dens”
This period, when the season has changed to winter, is usually described as “heavy snow,” but the artist’s choice to avoid using that term directly and instead use the bear to express the winter scenery is brilliant.
I always thought that bears stayed still in their dens during the winter, but it seems that there are many different types (new generation?) of bears. This year in particular, many bears have been spotted wandering around human settlements. They know that they can get foods around there, even during this winter season.
Considering such recent behavior of bears, I wonder how long description of the 62nd KOU will continue to effectively convey the sense of the season.
