Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing "first of the season" is deeply tied to cultural appreciation of seasonal change. The most common and natural way is using the word 初物 (はつもの), which refers to the first harvest or catch of the season. Other expressions exist for specific contexts, such as the first activity or event of a season.
Referring to the first fruits, vegetables, fish, or other seasonal items that appear at the beginning of their season.
This is the standard term for the first produce or catch of the season. It carries a sense of freshness and is often associated with good luck or special value.
今年初めての初物の桃を食べました。
I ate the first peaches of the season this year.
初物の鰹は値段が高いです。
The first bonito of the season is expensive.
Literally 'the beginning of the season', this phrase emphasizes that the item is just starting to come into season. It is often used for food and can imply that it's still early and perhaps not at peak flavor yet.
これは旬の走りのサンマです。
This is the first Pacific saury of the season.
Describing the first time doing a seasonal activity, such as the first swim of the summer or first snowfall of winter.
Attach 初め (はじめ) to a noun indicating the activity or event to mean 'the first ... of the season'. This is a productive pattern.
今年の泳ぎ初めは海でした。
My first swim of the season was in the ocean.
雪初めの日に写真を撮りました。
I took photos on the day of the first snow of the season.
A direct loanword adaptation meaning 'the first ... of the season'. Common in sports and events.
シーズン初の試合に勝ちました。
We won the first game of the season.
Referring to the first sighting of something symbolic of a season, like the first cherry blossoms or first firefly.
Prefix 初 (はつ) to a seasonal noun to indicate its first occurrence. This is very common for natural phenomena.
初桜が咲きました。
The first cherry blossoms of the season have bloomed.
初蛍を見に行きませんか。
Would you like to go see the first fireflies of the season?
Eating 初物 is traditionally believed to extend one's life by 75 days. It is often enjoyed with a sense of gratitude and celebration.
初物 simply means the first of the season, while 旬の走り emphasizes that it is the very beginning of the season and may not yet be at its peak flavor. 旬の走り can sometimes imply that the item is still a bit premature.