How to Read “The storm’s end on the two hundred and twentieth day”
Nihyaku hatsuka no arejimai
Meaning of “The storm’s end on the two hundred and twentieth day”
This proverb means that typhoon season ends after the 220th day (the 220th day from the start of spring, around September 11th), and the weather becomes stable.
For people working in agriculture, this period was the final trial before harvest. If they could survive this storm, calm autumn days would follow. The saying expresses this hope.
People use this expression around mid-September after typhoons pass. It shows their expectation that the weather will settle down.
The proverb also describes when difficult times end and stable days arrive. It carries a sense of anticipation for better times ahead.
Today, weather forecasts are accurate and we can track typhoon paths in advance. But the seasonal awareness this proverb shows remains unchanged.
The saying reminds us that hard times always end. Beyond them, peaceful days are waiting. People use these words with a positive spirit.
Origin and Etymology
To understand this proverb’s origin, we must first know what “the 220th day” means. It refers to the 220th day counted from the start of spring, falling around September 11th each year.
This period has long been known for typhoon arrivals. For farmers, it was the most dangerous time right before rice harvest.
Edo period calendars marked this 220th day as an unlucky day. Farmers learned from long experience that big storms came during this time.
They took measures to protect their rice from wind. They also prayed at shrines for calm winds.
The expression “arejimai” means the end of stormy weather. The proverb came from observing that typhoon season ends around the 220th day and weather stabilizes.
Actual weather data shows this pattern. After mid-September, the number of typhoons and their approaches to Japan decrease.
This proverb condenses years of weather observation wisdom. It shows how sharp Japanese people’s observation skills were when living close to nature.
Interesting Facts
Along with the 220th day, the 210th day (the 210th day from spring’s start, around September 1st) was also watched carefully as a typhoon day.
Adding Hassaku (the first day of the eighth lunar month), these three periods were called “the three great unlucky days for farmers.” Wind-calming festivals were held in various regions.
The Owara Kaze no Bon festival in Toyama Prefecture is one example. This festival continues today with prayers to protect rice from typhoon damage.
Looking at actual weather statistics, typhoons approaching Japan peak in August. They truly decrease after mid-September.
Our ancestors’ experience matches modern scientific data perfectly.
Usage Examples
- The storm’s end on the two hundred and twentieth day means sunny autumn days will continue from now on
- The typhoon passed, so this is truly the storm’s end on the two hundred and twentieth day
Universal Wisdom
Behind this proverb lies universal wisdom about “the power to believe in hope beyond hardship.” In an era when people couldn’t avoid natural disasters, they learned from experience.
They knew that difficult times always have an ending.
By showing the specific date of the 220th day, our ancestors gave anxious hearts a guideline. Nothing makes people more desperate than suffering with no end in sight.
But with a clear marker saying “after this day passes,” people gain the strength to endure. This wisdom applies not just to weather but to all of life’s difficulties.
This proverb also shows an attitude of accepting nature’s rhythms. Rather than resenting typhoons, people accepted them as part of the seasons and quietly waited for their end.
Against forces too large to resist, our ancestors understood that humans can only prepare, endure, and keep hoping.
The proverb teaches the importance of “the power to wait” that modern people often forget. Rather than trying to control everything instantly, we need courage to trust the flow of time.
That too is important wisdom humans should possess.
When AI Hears This
Summer air and autumn air have completely different properties, like water and ice. In summer, the Pacific high pressure is strong. In autumn, cold high pressure from the continent dominates.
Mid-September, when these two different “states” switch, is actually the most unstable period.
In physics, the moment when matter changes from one state to another is called “phase transition.” Just before water becomes ice, molecules shake violently.
They don’t completely belong to either state. Both properties mix together. The atmosphere is the same.
Around the 220th day, when summer and autumn pressure patterns compete, both energies collide. This creates the most intense typhoons and storms.
What’s interesting is that after this “final rampage” ends, the system stabilizes rapidly. Just as water past its critical point quickly settles into ice crystal structure, once autumn pressure patterns establish themselves, typhoon frequency and paths change.
In other words, “arejimai” is the atmosphere’s final adjustment to transition to a new stable state.
This proverb empirically captured a universal law of nature: the final stage of change is always the most intense. At a system’s turning point, large fluctuations always occur.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people about hope that difficult times always end. It also teaches the wisdom to recognize when that time comes.
Our lives also have trial periods like typhoon season. Work difficulties, relationship troubles, health problems—various “storms” may attack one after another.
At such times, this proverb uses the word “arejimai” to teach that hard times have endings. No difficulty lasts forever.
What matters is the strength to endure that period and the heart to believe in its end.
Modern society often demands immediate results. Maintaining a long-term perspective becomes difficult.
But nature’s rhythms don’t change for human convenience. Don’t rush. Prepare what you can now while waiting for the right time.
Having this composure can actually lead to better results.
If you’re now facing your life’s “220th day,” believe that this storm will also pass. After the storm, calm autumn days are surely waiting for you.
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