The climate in Japan varies greatly depending on the seasons, making it possible to characterize each one well. It's hard to believe that there were days when I was really hot here. I barely got out of the shower and I was already sweating again. I had left all the turtlenecks, coats and blankets in storage, but lately I've been taking everything out of the drawers to use again.
In September, autumn began ( aki ). It's persimmon season and it's worth trying kurigohan (rice with chestnuts). At this time, the color of the tree leaves varies from red to yellow and forms a beautiful landscape that can be enjoyed until November. This phenomenon of changing leaf colors is called kouyou . It seems that to have a beautiful kouyou , there must be a large difference in temperature between day and night, the leaves must receive a large amount of ultraviolet rays and there must also be adequate humidity so that the leaves do not dry out.
In persimmon season
I liked the autumn weather, as it is pleasant, sunny with frequent breezes and a cooler temperature than summer, not freezing cold. The bad thing is that typhoons happen sometimes. It is a very strong wind, which not only raises sand in parks but can destroy houses and the heavy rain that comes sometimes causes flooding and deaths.
It is dangerous to leave the house when typhoons are predicted to pass through the region. The last strong typhoon that passed here was Melor and I was scared by the indifference shown by some Japanese students, who continued to practice tennis and baseball on the university's outdoor fields, during the strong winds that raised dust and sent traffic signs flying. . Meanwhile, I studied in the library and even considered spending the night there. As I'm not used to it, I was scared, but for them it's normal and they can distinguish a really dangerous typhoon.
Autumn is the rice harvesting season. I had the opportunity to learn about part of the process. We used a machete to harvest the rice and then hung the bundles to dry in the sun for a few weeks. After drying, we separated the grains with the help of a simple machine, to remove plant stalks, rice straw, clods of earth, stones, pieces of jute bags, tow, among others. Of course, there are machines that speed up all the work, but we did it using the traditional method to see how it was done in the past.
Rice field
Winter ( fuyu ) will soon begin, which runs from December to February. It's dry and the sun regularly comes out. The ofuro (hot tub) and onsen (hot springs) are options for relaxing and warming up this season. While the west and north of Japan are extremely cold, the southern part has more pleasant weather, where the temperature rarely drops below 0°C. In the north, it snows a lot and is where the most famous snow sculpture festival takes place, which is Sapporo, in Hokkaido. Giant snow and ice sculptures are made, and people come from all over the world to enjoy and participate. In the case of Fukuoka, I'm not too eager to see what winter is like in the region because the temperature and weather they've been having lately are quite pleasant and in my opinion, it would be good if it was always like that.
Spring ( haru ) begins in March. The arrival of spring is marked by the blossoming of plum and cherry trees ( sakura ). Especially at this time, Sakura also plays an important role in Japanese cuisine. Sweets, ice creams, drinks and various treats take on the touch of flowers in both shape and flavor. “ Sakura-mochi ”, rice balls wrapped in cherry leaves, is one of the most traditional dishes.
Spring colors in Japan
Many Japanese people like this time of year, as it is neither too hot nor too cold. It doesn't rain that much and the brightly colored flowers adorn the gardens, making the streets more beautiful. Japanese spring lasts until May. Viewing cherry blossoms is a popular pastime and many parties are held under the cherry blossom trees to celebrate the arrival of spring. This custom is called hanami – flower appreciation. This season, weather forecasts regularly include the dates when flowers will appear in different parts of the country.
In mid-June it starts to rain. The rainy season ( tsuyu ) is important for farmers, especially when harvesting rice, as rice is a hydrophilic plant, and irrigated crops are the most desirable. The sky is almost always dark, clothes on the line take a long time to dry and it rains almost every day. It's time to carry an umbrella every day and a time when plastic boots arrive in shop windows. Raincoats also occupy prominent places in the markets. It's hard to find someone who likes this era. What is very inconvenient at this time is the noise of cicadas, especially for those who live close to parks and very green areas. Sometimes, I hoped it would rain because that way the noise of the cicadas would decrease.
The rainy season lasts for almost a month and after that, the weather becomes extremely hot. Summer is very humid and hot. It is unpleasant to be indoors without air conditioning or a fan. It's time to visit the beaches and see the difference in size between bikinis in Japan and those in Brazil.
Summer: time to enjoy the beaches
Japanese women protect themselves from the sun by wearing gloves, umbrellas, coats and hats. No matter how hot it is, some Japanese women stay completely covered to protect themselves from ultraviolet rays. Public transport has its temperatures adjusted. It is worth watching and enjoying the fireworks, which coincide with school holidays. Colorful, they are part of Japanese culture. It is the appropriate time to climb Fuji as there is no snow. Despite this, the cold is inevitable. At the top of the mountain, temperatures reach less than 10 degrees. In addition to the cold, tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness and malaise can accompany the adventurer and therefore, when finishing the climb, there is the feeling of “It's worth climbing once in your life, but I don't think twice”.
The other time I came to Japan, I couldn't notice any differences other than the temperature factor, as I spent the whole day inside the factory and didn't go out much on the weekends. This time, it is interesting to clearly see that the differences between the seasons go beyond degrees Celsius and that Japanese customs are strongly influenced by this. Now I saw up close that in each new season the colors change, the temperatures vary and the habits of the Japanese change.
© 2009 Silvia Lumy Akioka
