Hello from Tokyo!
Oh the weather. The go-to topic for small talk or normal talk. It never gets old (at least for me).
So please be my guest and let’s talk about the weather today.
BUT, before the weather, here is a VERY high-level update about Japan:
Currently the Olympics are on, but spectators are still to be confirmed
Recently, companies and other organizations (government and health related) have begun distributing vaccinations to employees and younger individuals (under 65 years old)
Rainy Season
On June 14th, the Kanto region (area that Tokyo is in), officially entered rainy season, or tsuyu (梅雨).
Growing up in America's midwest, I experienced (and adore) the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Technically Japan has the same four1 as well. But, in my humble opinion, not really. There is tsuyu - which is technically in the summer, but...honestly, it just feels like its own season.
What does tsuyu mean?
Time for some Kanji (Japanese Chinese-originated characters, 漢字) fun. Tsuyu is spelled 梅雨, or plum (ume 梅) rain (ame 雨). It is exactly that.
Plum
Currently it is the plum season in Japan. A very integral fruit in Japanese culture. Two well known uses of plum are pickling (umeboshi) and making plum sake (umeshu).
Of course, there are other uses, but one way it is not consumed is raw. This is due to the sour nature (kind of similar to lemons), in addition to being very astringent (you can get a stomach ache).
Rain
And yes, it rains all the time during tsuyu. Here is what my phone says:
To be honest, I like the rain (to a certain extent). It adds a nice atmosphere.
What’s tsuyu like?
Two words: Rainy and humid.
So let’s say you come to Japan during tsuyu. (Which I highly discourage, not necessarily because of the rain, but rather the fact that there’s better seasons.)
Due to the high humidity, mold and food spoilage become a problem. Fun! To prepare myself, I have been reading tips online. For instance, I have come across the following…
Don’t leave anything out, put it in the fridge
Leave some space between the wall and furniture so air circulates
NEVER STOP AIR CIRCULATION IN YOUR HOUSE
And so on and so forth...
How do people feel about tsuyu?
Recently, I was talking to a Japanese friend about our favorite seasons, and I mentioned how I love winter despite many people hating it. This led to the conversation about SAD (or Seasonal Affective Disorder). He then mentioned that people in Japan get SAD during tsuyu.
What!? This “season” is only 4-6 weeks. I didn’t realize that people could get SAD so quickly. I wish I could give you some hard facts, but all I could find on the internet were articles about tsuyu and SAD, and how to overcome it. The point is, if the Weather news in Japan is publishing articles about SAD, it probably is a thing.
I also asked three Japanese people about what they thought about tsuyu. This is what they said:
“It’s so muggy. I hate it. Probably 90% of Japanese don’t like it.” - Woman in her 50s
Oof.
“It’s my least favorite season of the year because a whole month of summer break is wasted even though I don’t have summer break anymore. But it gives me a good excuse to relax at home with Netflix and candles and I enjoy the breezy air.” - Woman in her 20s
Now that sounds like a good time.
“I hate tsuyu because I get terrible migraines.” -Male in his 30s
Poor guy…
unsolicited recommendation #8
While living in Chicago, a coworker introduced me to the military latte (a secret menu item) at a coffee shop nearby our office. It was amazing. From my understanding, the military latte’s name comes from its colors - green and brown. Which is what it is: a matcha latte with a shot of espresso.
However, this recommendation is not about the military latte. After moving to Japan, I stumbled upon Kirin’s “Espresso Tea”. Flashbacks to the military latte came rushing into my head. I had to try it.
Now, this is not a military latte, but rather, milk tea with espresso. However, it is not the traditional milk tea. This espresso tea is lighter on the sugar and milk, (“Bringing out the flavors of Ceylon Uva black tea.” How fancy). Not only that, I love how the espresso flavor comes out towards the end, adding depth and some bitterness.
Not only does this tea taste divine, it comes in a steel can (thicker and heavier than most canned beverages in Japan, which are made with aluminum). The sleek design and added weight, contribute to the luxurious experience.
Back to the theme of new and/or limited edition products: Espresso Tea was introduced this past March. (Whether or not it's a limited edition product, I do not know. )
The worst part of the tea is that it normally costs 130 yen (~$1.20) for...180ml... Which is basically 36% of the volume of a water bottle. Not going to lie, for the sake of my wallet I have used quite a lot of self control not to purchase this everyday. For now, I have allowed myself this delight once a week.
For most of the country. For example, Okinawa doesn’t quite have the four seasons, it's more like a Pacific island. Even so, there is still tsuyu here. Given this topic, I should mention that the northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido, doesn’t have a pronounced rainy season(...maybe I should go there…)
Sandra, I love your weekly updates and look forward to them most eagerly! Your grandmother is so proud of you!