User:Anwyll/IV/LocMap/RougestuCalendar
Notes regarding the Japanese calendar
The Chinese lunisolar calendar was introduced to Japan around the year 600 CE by way of Korea. In the following centuries, Japan produced its own calendar in the same style and, over time, the Chinese calendar has been mostly forgotten. The Gregorian calendar was then introduced in 1873 (as part of the rapid modernization efforts that defined the Meiji era) and is the standard for most purposes today. However, the dates of several festivals and holidays are still decided by lunar calendar.
What can make this discussion a bit confusing is the use of the Western names for the lunar months. For example, the first (lunar) month (一月; ichigatsu), despite commonly being called January, shares the most overlap with Gregorian December. If one were to celebrate the lunar holidays according to the Gregorian calendar, there would be a strong sense of seasonal dissonance with the intended focus of the holiday. For this reason, many holidays in Japan whose dates are determined by the lunar calendar are celebrated on a one-month delay, or tsukiokure (月遅れ).
This should be taken into consideration when understanding the nicknames of the lunar months used in Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. For example, Room 205 is named for the fifth (lunar) month (五月; gogatsu). While we commonly call this "May" or "Lunar May", it better correlates to Gregorian June. This makes sense of the nickname "The Month of Rain" (雨月; ugetsu), as the rainy season in Japan lasts from the beginning of (Gregorian) June to the middle of (Gregorian) July.
Reference Table
| # | MO | Kanji | Kana | Romaji | Meaning | Invokes Imagery Of... | Flora |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 一月 | 睦月 | むつき | Mutsuki | Month of Affection | The family-focused spirit of the new year and good relations / harmony shared between family members. | pine (松; mutsu) |
| 102 | 二月 | 麗月 | れいげつ | Reigetsu | Month of Beauty | A world blanketed in pure snow and sparkling ice just as the first plum blossoms form. | plum blossom (梅; ume) |
| 203 | 三月 | 祓月 | はらえづき | Haraezuki | Month of Purification | Visiting of shrines at winter's end to vanquish any lingering negative feelings associated with the darker, colder months, allowing for the full embracing spring with a pure, energetic spirit. | cherry blossom (桜; sakura) |
| 204 | 四月 | 陰月 | いんげつ | Ingetsu | Month of Shadows | Uncertain. Literally speaking, this name likely references a principle of Chinese astrology: Yin and Yang. In April, yang (陽; you) energy has peaked and begetsthe generation of yin (陰; in). However, as the character 陰 is sometimes used to refer to clouds (albeit with a different pronunciation), this nickname could be connected to the fact that April sees the percentage of time the sky is overcast exceed 50%, creating an association between April and clouds. | Japanese wisteria (藤; fuji) |
| 205 | 五月 | 雨月 | うげつ | Ugetsu | Month of Rain | The transition from the overcast days of April to the beginning of the rainy season. | Japanese iris (杜若; kakitsubata) |
| 206 | 六月 | 焦月 | しょうげつ | Shougetsu | Month of Scorching | The frequent rains of May giving way to bright, hot, sunny days. | peony (牡丹; botan) |
| 207 | 七月 | 蘭月 | らんげつ | Rangetsu | Month of Orchids | The fragrance of orchids blooming in July. | Japanese clover (萩; hagi) |
| 308 | 八月 | 観月 | みづき | Mizuki | Month of Viewing | The best time to view of the moon heading into Mid-Autumn and the harvest. | Chinese silver grass (芒; susuki) |
| 309 | 九月 | 色取月 | いろどりづき | Irodorizuki | Colorful Month | The changing of the leaves before winter. | chrysanthemum (菊; kiku) |
| 310 | 十月 | 神去月 | かみさりづき | Kamisarizuki | Month the Kami Leaving | ? | Japanese maple (紅葉; momiji) |
| 311 | 十一月 | 神帰月 | かみきづき | Kamikizuki | Month the Kami Returning | ? | willow (柳; yanagi) |
| 412 | 十二月 | 氷月 | ひょうげつ | Hyougetsu | Month of Ice | the shift of the seasons back into the depths of winter. | princess tree (桐; kiri) |