Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally “Month one”, February is “Month two”, etc.
However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).
March is:
弥 = increasingly
生 = life
In other words, “the month with increasing new life”. This befits the time of year when it is spring in the Northern hemisphere, and Japan enjoys beautiful spring blossoms such as cherry blossom and plum blossom.
It is also first name of the artist 彌生草間 (Yayoi Kusama). Her name uses the older, more complex version of the 弥 kanji: 彌.
Calligraphy by Vicky 