Satsuki
SAHT-SOO-KEE
Satsuki is the classical Japanese name for the fifth month of the lunar calendar, roughly corresponding to May in the Western calendar. It is associated with the satsuki azalea, a flowering plant that blooms during this period, bringing vivid colour to early summer. The name gained widespread recognition outside Japan through the character Satsuki Kusakabe in Studio Ghibli's beloved film My Neighbour Totoro.
At a glance
Satsuki is a beautiful Japanese name meaning fifth month, evoking the azalea blooms and fresh warmth of early summer. It carries a poetic, seasonal quality that is central to the Japanese aesthetic tradition, and has become recognised globally through Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro.
Etymology & History
The name Satsuki is written in Japanese using characters that literally mean fifth month. In the traditional Japanese lunar calendar, which predates the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the Meiji period, each month had a classical poetic name rather than a number. Satsuki was the name for the fifth month, a period that corresponds roughly to late May and early June in the modern calendar.
The classical monthly names of the Japanese calendar are deeply embedded in the literary and poetic tradition. They evoke the natural phenomena associated with each season, and Satsuki in particular calls to mind the blossoming of the satsuki azalea, known in Japanese as satsuki tsutsuji. This connection between the name, the month, and the flower creates a rich web of natural associations.
As a given name, Satsuki can also be written with different kanji characters to convey related but distinct meanings, such as characters meaning small moon or early summer, allowing families to personalise the name's written form while retaining its familiar spoken sound. This flexibility is a common feature of Japanese given names.
Cultural Significance
The practice of naming children after months, seasons, and natural phenomena is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, reflecting the country's profound aesthetic engagement with the natural world. Names like Satsuki, Hazuki (eighth month), and Kikutsuki (ninth month) carry within them an entire philosophy of living in harmony with seasonal change, an idea central to the Japanese concept of mono no aware, or the gentle sadness and beauty of transient things.
The satsuki azalea itself holds cultural significance in Japan, where it has been cultivated as a bonsai subject for centuries and features prominently in traditional garden design. The azalea's vivid pink and red blossoms are associated with femininity, passion, and the fleeting beauty of spring giving way to summer. A girl named Satsuki therefore carries within her name both a time of year and a flower.
Globally, the name Satsuki is most widely recognised through Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro, in which Satsuki and her younger sister Mei encounter the forest spirit Totoro. The film's enduring popularity across generations worldwide has introduced the name to audiences far beyond Japan, and many parents outside Japan have chosen Satsuki for its combination of gentle sound and rich cultural meaning.
Famous people named Satsuki
Satsuki Kusakabe
The eldest daughter in Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro, a responsible and caring character whose name became internationally known through the film's global popularity.
Satsuki Igarashi
One half of the manga artist duo CLAMP, the all-female creative team behind beloved series including Cardcaptor Sakura and xxxHolic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Names like Satsuki
Hana
“Happiness; bliss; contentment”
Hana comes from the Arabic word for happiness, bliss, and contentment. It expresses a state of joyful well-being and is often given with the wish that a child will lead a life filled with joy and satisfaction.
Hazuki
“leaf and moon”
The name Hazuki is most commonly written with kanji meaning 'leaf' and 'moon,' conjuring an autumnal scene of falling leaves bathed in silver moonlight. It is also an old Japanese word for the eighth month of the lunar calendar, roughly corresponding to August or early September. This layered meaning gives the name a quietly poetic, nature-connected identity that parents have long prized.
Koharu
“Little spring”
Koharu combines the Japanese elements for 'small' or 'heart' with 'spring', evoking the gentle warmth of early springtime. It can also refer to a brief spell of warm weather in autumn, known as 'little spring', giving the name a poetic, seasonal charm that is deeply beloved in Japan.
Sakura
“Cherry blossom”
From the Japanese word sakura, meaning cherry blossom. The cherry blossom is Japan's most iconic natural symbol, representing the fleeting beauty of life and the arrival of spring.
Yuki
“Snow, happiness”
Yuki holds the dual beauty of meaning both 'snow' and 'happiness' in Japanese, with the precise meaning shaped by the kanji characters chosen, allowing parents to weave their hopes into the very fabric of the name.
Where you'll find Satsuki
Satsuki shows up in these curated collections across Namekin.