Vernal Equinox Day

In Japan, the vernal equinox (‘Shunbun no Hi’) is a welcome holiday as it marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

“Shun 春” is the kanji character for spring, and “bun 分” is the kanji character meaning “to divide.”

At the exact moment that the vernal equinox occurs in one hemisphere, it is the time of the autumnal equinox in the other hemisphere.