Month of the White Frost

The Month of the White Frost is the name used for the eleventh month in a recollection of Saruji’s betrothal to one of Lord Kiyama’s granddaughters. Its appearance gives a specific calendrical anchor to a family alliance mentioned during Toranaga’s review of his retainers and their service.

Calendar Reference

The month is identified when Yabu explains that Saruji’s betrothal took place in the eleventh month of the previous year, the Month of the White Frost. The passage supplies no further calendar conversion or duration; its function is to place the engagement within the story’s own named-month chronology.

The Betrothal and Its Political Setting

Toranaga asks about Saruji’s age and recalls that he was recently betrothed to a granddaughter of Lord Kiyama. Yabu confirms both the engagement and its date, adding that Saruji is currently in Osaka with Lord Kiyama. The month therefore dates a marriage arrangement that links Saruji’s household to a powerful lord’s family, while the present location situates the young man within that alliance’s political sphere.

Narrative Function

The reference occurs amid discussion of Saruji’s victory and duty. After confirming the betrothal and Saruji’s presence in Osaka, Toranaga grants him ten thousand koku, effective immediately, and says the authorization will be sent with the next day’s mail. The named month does not itself determine the reward, but it makes the engagement’s timing concrete within a conversation where personal service, rank, and family ties all matter.