April 20th, 2026-April 24th is Spring-First stage of KOKUU (Grain rains)-16th KOU “First reeds sprout.” As the 24 solar terms (a division of the year into 24 seasons) progress further, this period is called “KOKUU” (Grain Rain). KOKUU is considered a season that promotes the growth of grains, and in the past, it was used as a guideline for preparing to plant various crops, including rice. However, in and around Nagano City, preparations to rice planting usually begin rather later than the KOKUU period.
The reeds along the CHIKUMA River are growing rapidly. They seem bigger than last year. Reeds and rice are the same species, right?
KOKUU is not just for plants. Where bodies of water expand, creatures gather as well.
My walking route includes a pond that usually appears in early March. But this year, perhaps due to the dry weather and lack of rain, the pond didn’t form until early April. As soon as the pond forms, frogs begin croaking and laying eggs. When I found eggs on April 11th, some babies of tadpole were already moving inside eggs. I also saw herons and turtles; they were there to get their hands on the frog eggs.
