There is a period of time, from late May into June, when Japanese people talk about the rainy season. And sometimes it really comes down hard for 20 minutes or so. The husband in the above photo is going out to unblock the path of water flowing in front of his house.
Drain clogged near my front doorOccasionally, the rain comes suddenly enough, and the clouds are powerful enough, to produce lightening and thunder. And since rain in Japan is usually gentle, many people (most people?) are frightened by thunder. I remember being near a busy train station when one of these squalls hit, and I heard girls
screaming after hearing thunder.
Of course, at times like these, I get the overwhelming urge to explain that in Texas, thunderstorms that last all night are common. And for me thunder is calming. (
Of course, if a lightening bolt hits your house or the tree in your front yard, it isn't so calming. But in general, it stays up in the clouds, and has a nice effect.) .. Think of the beginning of The Doors "Riders on the Storm".
But I can't see why Japanese people insist that the "Rainy season" lasts for weeks and weeks. It does
not rain every day, and it is
not depressing like a Portland Oregon winter. There's sun. And flowers. And cool weather days. And the sky is clear enough (pollution-haze washed away) that you can see Fuji-san. And I like that.
view from workPerhaps the big talk is people's way of expecting the worse, so that if they
do happen to get hit by a steady week of rain, they won't get depressed. Or maybe it prevents people from having their picnic plans ruined. "Oh, can't do it then--it'll be the rainy season." It's like a social insurance safeguard.
Is this common to all countries? Do we all expect the worst, for a specific season? For people not living in Japan, can you think of something similar from where you live?
