The famous psychologist William James once said, "We learn to swim in winter and skate in summer." What he meant was that relaxing downtime is essential for unconsciously processing the lessons from busier times. James never experienced the heat and humidity of a Japanese summer, but if he had, he might have understood how the summer forces a break from the speed and intensity of modern life and gives one time to think.
The summer in Japan is good at draining the energy from almost anyone. This year, heat seems to have descended on the country both politically, with the recent election, and environmentally, with all the force of global warming. After another sweaty outdoor walk, the old Japanese standbys of yukata, sandals and handheld fans seem once again like sensible, effective relief. Those traditional coolers emphasized the virtue of just slowing down.
The summer heat forces the mind and body to unwind and start to take care of what is often overlooked in cooler times — relaxation. Most people enter a kind of summer hibernation, moving only when necessary and not consuming anything that is not chilled. Even noodles and tofu are served cold. Cooling and calming the body lets the mind wander over important life issues and start to see the world again from the viewpoint of the tatami.