72 Seasons

The clouds hang low, heaven and earth alike shut down, and even living things are moving less. The sight of such a still winter day is expressed by this phrase. The Japanese character for " block" also holds the meaning of a "fortress". Another name for a "Dosojin", the type of god that is placed at the entrance of villages and hamlets to protect against evil and also protect travellers, is the "God of the Fortress". It could be fun to imagine this god as a strong force that protects the people from cruel Jack Frost.
©Utsukushii Kurashikata Institute