Although I love living in Japan, I’m happy that I’m not there now. The reason is that Japan has entered its its rainy season, a month-long period when it will rain most every day as the country is transformed into a macro version of Seattle. The word for rainy season is tsuyu, written with characters that mean “plum rain,” and there are several theories about how this odd name came about, including that it comes from the fact that Japanese plums ripen around this time of year, or that the raindrops are large like plums when they fall on you. Incidentally, if you ever want to know what the weather will be like tomorrow, do what Japanese kids do and throw your shoe as hard as you can. If the shoe lands upright, it will be a nice day tomorrow; if it lands on its side, look for clouds; and if it lands upside down, it will rain.
I’m happy to be out of Japan during rainy season.
