ABSTRACT
As we saw in the poems that introduced the previous chapters, some haiku indicate the time of year with a “season word,” or kigo in Japanese. Representation of the seasons has traditionally been important in Japanese culture, including in tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, and poetry. Now that the seasons themselves have started to change as a result of global climate change, things that have not been traditionally observed are starting to become a reality in Japan. Climate change will affect Japan not only physically and economically, but also culturally and intellectually. The next generation in Japan may begin to sense Japan’s four seasons in a way completely different from how they were sensed by their ancestors.
