near summer; end of spring
A poetic or literary noun referring to the time when summer is approaching, often used in haiku or seasonal descriptions.
Summer is near; the trees' green has deepened.
In haiku, 'natsuchikashi' is used as a seasonal word for early summer.
Standard kanji spelling for this seasonal noun.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 夏 (natsu, 'summer') and the classical adjective 近し (chikashi, 'near'), literally 'summer is near'. The form follows classical Japanese grammar, giving it a literary feel.