Winter Starts This Saturday (Officially): 6 Japanese Words for November

There’s a specific moment every November in Japan. You step outside in the morning, the air bites a little, and someone next to you at the crosswalk mutters: 急に寒くなったね — “It suddenly got cold, huh.”

According to Japan’s traditional calendar, that moment has an official date this year. Winter begins this Saturday, November 7.

Here are six words that define November in Japan — from the calendar, the shrines and the dinner table.

1. 立冬 (rittō) — the start of winter

Japan still uses the old system of 二十四節気 (nijūshi sekki), 24 “solar terms” that divide the year based on the sun’s position. 立冬 (rittō) is the one that marks the beginning of winter. In 2026, it falls on Saturday, November 7, at 6:52 p.m. Japan time, when the sun reaches 225 degrees of celestial longitude.

Does it feel like winter? Honestly, not yet in most of Japan — this year the autumn leaves are still running late. But weather forecasters will mention 立冬 on TV, and it’s a signal that the cold is coming.

The kanji are worth learning: 立 (to stand, to begin) appears in all four season starts — 立春, 立夏, 立秋, 立冬.

2. 霜月 (shimotsuki) — the frost month

Before Japan adopted numbered months, each had a poetic name. November is 霜月 (shimotsuki), “frost month.” You’ll see it on traditional calendars, in seasonal sweets shops, and in letters that open with a seasonal greeting.

3. 七五三 (shichi-go-san) — Seven-Five-Three

On or around November 15, families take children aged 3, 5 and 7 to shrines to pray for their health and growth. This year, November 15 is a Sunday, so expect shrines to be busy with kids in tiny kimono and hakama.

Children often get 千歳飴 (chitose ame), long red-and-white candy sticks in a decorated bag. 千歳 means “a thousand years” — a wish for a long life.

November in Japan: tiny kimono at the shrine in the morning, hot pot at home in the evening.

4. 勤労感謝の日 (kinrō kansha no hi) — Labor Thanksgiving Day

November 23 is a national holiday to thank people for their work. In 2026 it falls on a Monday, making a three-day weekend. It has roots in an old harvest festival, which is why it’s connected to giving thanks — but for most people today, it’s simply a welcome day off.

5. 鍋 (nabe) — hot pot season

As soon as it gets cold, 鍋 (nabe) takes over Japanese dinner tables. Everyone sits around one pot of simmering broth with vegetables, tofu and meat or fish. Supermarkets fill up with ready-made nabe soup packs in dozens of flavors.

On Japanese social media you’ll see posts captioned 今年初の鍋！ — “First nabe of the year!” It’s a small seasonal milestone, a bit like the first pumpkin spice latte elsewhere.

6. こたつ (kotatsu) — the trap you’ll never escape

A こたつ (kotatsu) is a low table with a heater underneath and a thick blanket on top. You slide your legs in, and then… you don’t want to leave. こたつから出られない (“I can’t get out of the kotatsu”) is one of the most relatable sentences in the Japanese language.

Your November challenge

Use one of these words this week. Say 急に寒くなったね to a coworker, or post your own 今年初の鍋. And if you want to know what Japan was doing just before winter, read about Culture Day and the new tax-free rules that started this month.