The more time I spend in Japan, the more I appreciate the turn of the seasons. Each 季節 (kisetsu, season) has its own distinct characteristics that bring with it different feelings and experiences, both good and bad.

But to fully express your appreciation of a hot drink on a cold day, or the discomfort of frozen fingertips when you forget your gloves, you’ll need to go a bit further than “寒い” (samui, cold).

One of the most common phrases you’ll likely hear at the onset of winter is “寒くなってきましたね” (samuku natte-kimashita ne, it’s gotten cold, hasn’t it). It’s even more likely that you’ll hear it from your friends who are 寒がり (samugari, someone who gets cold easily).

When it comes to 極寒 (gokkan, extreme cold), however, you might find yourself at a point where your body just doesn’t respond the same: 手が悴み、口が回らないほどの寒さです (Te ga kajikami, kuchi ga mawaranai hodo no samusa desu, It’s so cold that my hands are numb and my mouth won’t move).

Hopefully, you won’t feel such extreme cold while inside, but when you’re out and about, you might come across a 身を切るような寒風 (mi o kiruyōna kanpū, a piercingly cold wind). It’s at that point that you’ll want to run into the nearest cafe. 寒い日が続くとホッと温まるドリンクが欲しくなります (Samui hi ga tsuzuku to hotto atatamaru dorinku ga hoshiku narimasu, When the cold days keep coming, I want a drink that will really warm me up).

Of course, it’s best to simply avoid feeling 寒い in the first place. This is the season where Japanese parents everywhere are saying “暖かい格好しなさい。気をつけないと、風邪をひくよ！” (Atatakai kakkō shinasai. Ki o tsukenai to, kaze o hiku yo!, Dress up warm. If you’re not careful, you’ll catch a cold!)

Sometimes that’s easier said than done, though. While the outdoors is 凍えるような寒さ (kogoeruyōna samusa, freezing cold), the train to work can be 意外と暖かい (igai to atatakai, surprisingly warm). In that kind of cold it’s hard not to 着込みすぎて着膨れする (kikomi sugite kibukure suru, bundle up in too much clothing), but as long as you 重ねて着る (kasanete kiru, wear layers) then at least you can take them off on the train.

Once you finally get to the office, it’s a battlefield for who takes control of the temperature. If someone has left the window open in winter, your first instinct might be to close it, but it might be a part of their コロナ対策 (korona taisaku, anti-coronavirus measures), so it’s a good idea to first ask, 寒いので、窓を閉めてもいいですか？ (Samui node, mado o shimete mo ii desu ka?, It’s cold, mind if I close the window?)

If closing the window isn’t enough, you might also want to turn on the heater: 暖房をつけてもいいですか？ (Danbō o tsukete mo ii desu ka, Can I turn on the heating?) Depending on your workplace, it might not be the air-conditioning style 暖房, but rather a ストーブ (sutōbu, heater with heating element) or ヒーター (hītā, air heater) that you’ll need to get going.

The wintry atmosphere pervades other aspects of life in Japan, too. In the past, poems and letters would have held the flowery seasonal language most dear, but these days they are mostly present in the 挨拶 (aisatsu, greetings) at the beginning and end of emails, or in the 年賀状 (nengajō, New Year’s cards) sent out to family and friends.

It’s a nice gesture to show that you’re thinking of someone on the cold wintry nights, so it doesn’t hurt to keep a few 季語 (kigo, seasonal words) and 季節の挨拶 (kisetsu no aisatsu, seasonal greetings) close at hand.

A popular way to start an email in winter is to express an interest in the recipient’s well-being in relation to the drop in temperature: 寒さが一段と厳しくなってまいりましたが、いかがお過ごしでしょうか (Samusa ga ichidan to kibishiku natte mairimashita ga, ikaga o-sugoshi deshō ka, How are you doing now that the cold weather has become even more severe?). But December is also a very busy time of year, so you could instead opt for something like: 年の暮れのご多忙の折、ますますご繁栄のこととお慶び申し上げます (Toshi no kure no go-tabō no ori, masu-masu go-hanei no koto to o-yorokobi mōshiagemasu, During this busy end-of-year period, I wish you the best going forward).

These may sound somewhat overly polite at first, but they add a nice warm touch to what might otherwise be another cold email. You can always end your emails or letters with a more formal take on those caring words: 寒さ厳しき折、お風邪など引かれませんよう、くれぐれもご自愛ください (Samusa ikameshiki ori, o-kaze nado hikaremasen yō, kure-gure mo go-jiai kudasai, Please take care of yourself during this severe cold to avoid catching a cold).

However you choose to express the feeling in your chilly extremities this winter, 向寒の折柄、何卒お身体おいといください (kōkan no orikara, nanitozo o-karada oitoi kudasai, please take care of yourself as we enter the coldest time of year).