also: はとり
first cockcrow of the year
A traditional seasonal word (kigo) for the New Year, referring to the first crowing of a rooster heard at the start of the year. Often used in haiku and other poetic contexts.
Hearing the first cockcrow of the year, I felt the arrival of the new year.
In haiku, 'first cockcrow' is used as a seasonal word for the new year.
Standard kanji form for this seasonal word.
Alternate reading; less common than はつとり.
Compound of 初 (hatsu, 'first') and 鶏 (tori, 'chicken/rooster'). The reading はつとり is the standard combination; はとり is a contracted variant.