陽炎(かげろう)

The kanji combine 陽(よう) (sun) and 炎(ほのお) (flame), reflecting the fiery shimmer visible above hot surfaces.

Common expressions

• 陽炎(かげろう)が立(た)つ: heat haze rises
• 陽炎(かげろう)が揺(ゆ)らめく: heat haze shimmers
• 陽炎(かげろう)のように: like a mirage (fleeting, illusory)

Cultural note

A traditional spring 季語(きご) (seasonal word) in haiku, though it is most often seen on hot summer days. Its fleeting, dreamlike quality makes it a common literary image for things that are illusory or barely there.

Watch out

かげろう is also the name of the mayfly (蜉蝣(かげろう)), another image of the short-lived; the title of the Heian-era 蜻蛉日記(かげろうにっき) plays on the word.