Japanese months are numbered, not named
Unlike English, Japanese months do not have unique names. Instead they use numbers: 一月 (ichigatsu — month one / January), 二月 (nigatsu — month two / February), and so on through 十二月 (juunigatsu — month twelve / December). The kanji 月 means both "moon" and "month."
This system is among the easiest aspects of Japanese to learn. If you already know the number kanji (一 through 十二), you already know all the months. There are no irregular names, no Latin roots, no memorisation beyond counting.
Writing and saying the months
Each month is written as its number plus 月: 三月 (March), 七月 (July), 十一月 (November). In speech, all months follow the same pattern — number + gatsu. January through December: ichigatsu, nigatsu, sangatsu, shigatsu, gogatsu, rokugatsu, shichigatsu, hachigatsu, kugatsu, juugatsu, juuichigatsu, juunigatsu.
April (四月) is the start of the Japanese school year and fiscal year, making it culturally significant as a time of new beginnings — 新年度 (shin-nendo). Many companies and organisations also begin their year in April.
Seasonal kanji attached to months
Traditional Japanese culture associates each season with specific months and imagery. Spring (春, haru) covers March–May; summer (夏, natsu) June–August; autumn (秋, aki) September–November; winter (冬, fuyu) December–February. These associations appear in poetry, food, festivals, and kanji compound words throughout the year.
Explore Japanese seasons
Read about the kanji for each season and their cultural meaning.