辰
Meanings
the Dragon; fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac
Refers to the Dragon zodiac sign in the Chinese/Japanese zodiac cycle. Commonly used in expressions about birth years, personality, and yearly fortunes.
He was born in the year of the Dragon.
People born under the Dragon sign are said to be passionate.
hour of the Dragon; around 8am
Obsolete temporal unit in the traditional Japanese time system. Corresponds roughly to 7–9 AM or 8–10 AM. Now only encountered in historical contexts or set phrases like 辰の刻.
See also: 辰の刻
In the Edo period, the bell rang at the hour of the Dragon.
east-southeast; third lunar month
Obsolete directional and calendrical uses from the traditional Chinese zodiac-based system. 辰 indicated the east-southeast direction and the third month of the lunar calendar. These meanings are not used in modern Japanese outside of historical or classical references.
In the old calendar, the month of the Dragon corresponds to the end of spring.