In a strange bit of timing, Japan is emerging from COVID-19-related #stayhome advisories just as the rainy season is about to begin. The season generally hits most of the country in early June and lasts for five weeks on average. Only Hokkaido manages to escape the precipitation.
Known as 梅雨 (tsuyu) in Japanese, the kanji for rainy season literally means “plum rain,” as it coincides with ripening plums. However, while the term may conjure up romantic scenes of a Japanese garden or pastoral landscapes bathed in mist, most of us are preoccupied with the mundane reality of daily life in the wet weather. What follows are some tips when preparing for the weeks ahead.