Japanese New Year happiness all around. The amount of money given depends on the age of the child but is usually the same if there is more than one child so that no one feels slighted. It is not uncommon for amounts greater than ¥5,000 (approximately US$50) to be given. The New Year traditions are also a part of Japanese poetry, including haiku (poems with 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven and five) and renga (linked poetry). All of the traditions above would be appropriate to include in haiku as "kigo" (season words). There are also haiku that celebrate many of
Japanese bush warbler has led to the birds being kept as cage birds. Robert Young records that to encourage singing the cages of kept birds were covered with a wooden box with a small paper window that allowed only subdued light in. Along with the return of the barn swallow the bush warbler's call is viewed by Japanese as a herald of springtime. It is one of the favorite motifs of Japanese poetry, featured in many poems including those in "Man'yōshū" or "Kokin Wakashū". In haiku and renga, "uguisu" is one of the kigo which signify the early spring. In poetry the bird