梅雨 (Tsuyu) – Japan’s rainy season

There are many things I love about Japan, but weather is most certainly not one of them. The Japanese people are very proud of having four distinct seasons and make a point of telling you about them whenever the seasons are about to change. And when they do change it’s pretty much overnight. The fact that Japan has four seasons is, however, completely untrue. There are at least five in my estimation. Of course you have the basic four seasons, though spring and fall can hardly count since they’re only about 2 weeks. There is also the rainy season, and typhoon season could probably count too. Do you have a rainy season where you live?

Rainy season is probably my least favorite, although it often ties for the worst with winter. In the winter you can’t really escape the cold, even indoors. The only redemption for withstanding the cold is the loveliest invention called a kotatsu. It’s a table with a heater and thick blanket draped over the sides, and definitely my favorite place to be during the winter months.

Rainy season is just gross. Unsurprisingly it rains a lot. Once I invested in a nice pair of rain boots I was much less grumpy during this month of rain, but when it’s not raining it is horribly humid. You might think, “Well after it rains, surely you’d get some relief from the humidity for a little while.” Would that were true! Rainy season is really just a month of rain and humidity, so it feels like you’re swimming through the air all month long. And when the season is finally over, the humidity stays, rises to a ridiculous level, and the heat gets cranked up. Then summer is in full swing.

Even with all the humidity and mostly constant rainy days, there are a few good things about rainy season. All the rain keeps me indoors more so I have more time to work on projects, read, and cook! Also I happen to love the sound of rain, especially at night. I caught up on some TV shows this weekend too. Yesterday I avoided the rain by attending a bamboo weaving workshop with some friends. We learned how to weave a small basket from a bamboo master! Now I have a beautiful new place to keep all my nail polish. So, what’s your favorite thing to do on rainy days?

22 Jun This entry was published on June 22, 2014 at 23:08. It’s filed under About Savvy and tagged bamboo, crafts, Japan, rain, rainy season, weaving. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.