The rainy season has finally arrived in Japan as of last week. This season is called tsuyu (梅雨) in Japanese, which literally translates to ‘plum rain’, evoking the imagery of rain drops falling on the plump purple fruits, and signaling the arrival of summer. Another symbol of this season is the beautiful purple hydrangeas (あじさい) which bloom between May and July. Visiting hydrangea fields is a popular sightseeing activity during this time.
In Japan, the rainy season lasts from early June to mid-July for the main island of Honshu, and the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, Kansai and Kanto. It starts slightly earlier in the southern island of Okinawa, around May, and the northern island of Hokkaido does not actually experience tsuyu.
This season may not exactly lend itself to particularly nice weather, or the opportunity for outdoor sightseeing, but it is very important to the success of Japan’s rice crops. Without it, the country may also face the prospect of droughts and water shortages in summer.
As you may have noticed, rainy season in Japan means high-humidity. Be very careful to keep your home as dry as possible, as the high humidity may lead to mold and rot. A dehumidifying product in Japan called shikke-tori can be used to help prevent this problem. It’s sold in packs of three, and filled with salt and silica compounds that draw the moisture out of the air and store it away as water. These shikke-tori can be found all over Japan, in supermarkets and drug stores.
It’s generally also considered to be a good idea to always carry an umbrella with you during this season, even if the skies look clear in the morning, as the downpour may start at any time!
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