Spring

Spring is both a forecast and a point of waiting: May Kasahara says the duck people will return after the pond freezes over, while Toru Okada expects Kumiko’s trial to begin in spring. The season marks a possible change in the landscape and a pending legal resolution, but neither is yet realized in the scene.

Seasonal Return

May tells Toru that the duck people have moved elsewhere because the pond has frozen, and invites him to come back in spring so she can introduce them. Their absence is temporary and tied to the pond’s seasonal condition; the promised meeting depends on a thaw that has not yet come.

Trial and Deferred Outcome

Spring is also the anticipated start of Kumiko’s trial. Toru explains that she has refused release from jail, does not want visitors, and intends to plead guilty and accept the verdict. He expects a relatively short trial and considers a suspended sentence possible, or otherwise a light sentence, but the outcome remains uncertain. The season thus holds open both the prospect of the pond’s renewal and the unresolved consequences of Kumiko’s decision.