Photo/Illutration A person walks with a parasol in the strong sunlight in Tokyo's Ginza district on Nov. 3. (Jin Nishioka)

One of the rules of haiku writing is to avoid “kigasanari,” or the use of two “kigo” seasonal phrases, in one 17-syllable poem.

And should those kigo phrases happen to denote two seasons, the author could be criticized for trying to be an overachiever.

However, that rule is apparently not set in stone, as evidenced by this well-known piece by Kijo Murakami (1865-1938): “Koharubi ya/Ishi wo kamiiru/Akatonbo.”

The haiku describes a red dragonfly, which will die before long, resting on a stone and fixing its gaze on an empty space on a winter day that is unseasonably warm and spring-like.

The seasons are changing. The past casts its shadows on the present and the bud of the future lurks in the shadows. Transition is a wonderous thing.

But these days, how do we deal with the seasons when writing haiku? If we are to faithfully portray the scenes before our eyes, I’d be tempted to say kigasanari is the only way to go.

Today is “Ritto,” or the first day of winter on the old lunar calendar, but the temperature exceeded 27 degrees in central Tokyo yesterday. The stuffy commuter trains had to be air-conditioned to battle the muggy heat.

And yesterday was said to be the 143rd “summer day” recorded in central Tokyo this year.

The forecast is that autumn is about to start gearing up in earnest, but it is not normal that 40 percent of the year is summer. This must be just another sign that our planet is really heating up.

In semi-tropical Okinawa, I understand that “konatsubi” (literally, “small summer day”) is a kigo, instead of “koharubi” (literally, “small spring day”) which is a kigo in mainland Japan.

On some days, the intense sunlight of early winter feels like a return of summer, rather than spring. In fact, when I was in Okinawa last week, most people were in short sleeves.

A haiku by Sachiko Tamashiro goes to the effect, “Sanpin tea (Okinawa-style jasmine tea) at the forefront of konatsubi.”

“Goya” bitter melon and “awamori” (Okinawa’s indigenous alcoholic beverage) are among many Okinawan specialties that have become popular on the Japanese mainland, and they are all welcome.

But konatsubi is one thing that I want to do without.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 8

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.