Plum Rain
Tsuyu, the Rainy Season in Kamakura, Japan
In Japan, we often pay attention to and enjoy the changing of the seasons. Many travelers visit Japan to admire the cherry blossoms in Spring, and the foliage in Autumn. We are now in between Spring and Summer, a time which we call the rainy season, or tsuyu. June is usually the month with the second-most precipitation of the year. (The rainiest month is September or October, whenever the big typhoons hit that year.)
The seasonal tsuyu rain front starts in the south of Japan and sweeps northward. This week, the Japan Meteorological Agency declared that the Kamakura has entered the rainy season. That means that whenever I look outside, it’s gray and dreary and very wet.
Kamakura in the Rain
Since Kamakura is surrounded on three sides by the mountains, the humidity goes up even higher during the rainy season, especially in the valleys. I like the humidity which keeps my skin nice and moist. The hydrangeas in the valley are happy too, and bloom in purple, blue, pink, and white. And we cannot forget about the croaking and peeping frogs. I love falling asleep listening to their song in the rain.
Hydrangea is a symbol of the rainy season in Japan, and Kamakura is famous for its hydrangeas. Hase Temple on the western side of town, and Meigetsuin Temple in Kita-Kamakura (North Kamakura) are two of the more popular spots for admiring hydrangeas in the rain. At Hase Temple, there is a hydrangea path where you can enjoy 40 different varieties of the flower. Meigetsuin Temple is famous for its many thousands of pretty blue flowers, known as Meigetsuin Blue. Usually, I only end up watching the umbrellas of people lining up to see hydrangeas, but this year, I got to visit both temples and enjoyed many early blooming hydrangeas before the crowding began. The combination of old temples, hydrangeas, and thick moss is a classic.
Personally, I enjoy the ordinary hydrangeas that I can see on the way to grocery shopping as much as the ones at the temple. They brighten up my spirits on cloudy days and I am grateful for them.
Rainy Season at Home
In contrast to the beauty outside, our household is busy during the rainy season with the constant struggle of when to do the laundry. Like many Japanese homes, we do not have a dryer, so all clothes must be hung outside, and I am constantly checking the weather forecast, or rather, the “laundry forecast.” When laundry weather comes, I gather all the dirty clothes from wherever they are hiding around the house, and do it all on one day. Sometimes, though, the laundry absorbs moisture from the damp valley air. When this tragedy happens, I bring all the laundry inside and dry it all over our house. Colorful drying laundry inside the house is another typical scene from the rainy season in Japan, or maybe that’s just in our house. Please ask around when you visit Japan.
Plum Canning
The word for the rainy season, tsuyu, is written “Plum” (梅) and “Rain” (雨) because it coincides with the season of Japanese plums, ume(梅) ripening. Belatedly, I realized that is why my Facebook feed is full of my Japanese friends reporting on their plum picking and canning.
(Incidentally, there is an argument about whether we should call ume “plums” or “apricots.” Ume are definitely smaller than the plums you see at the market, so more apricot-sized. We usually do not eat them fresh, but rather pickled or candied. Ume are the most standard filling for rice balls (onigiri) in Japan.)
I have been offered my friends’ homemade plum syrup as an energy drink to get through the brutally hot summer in Japan, but I never tried making it myself. So, this year, I decided it would be my first attempt. All you do is put layers of plums and sugar in about the same amount in a mason jar. Place them in a dark, cool place, stir once a day, and wait for a month. So easy! I don’t know why I waited so long to try it out.
This canning reminded me of life in Vermont. During summer, many people start canning freshly harvested vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, and berries for the fast-approaching winter when there is not much fresh produce around.
Plum Rain
I like the expression, “Plum Rain” instead of “Rainy Season”. It sounds more flavorful and reminds me of the subtle sweet scent of the plums.
The thick and heavy air of this season makes people dreary sometimes, but it is a vital source of water for people and plants to survive the red hot summer in Japan. Why not enjoy cool and humid days before the heat? I am ready to beat the summer with some ice-cold soda and plum syrup which should be ready right in time!
Love from Kamakura.
Kamakura Mind Blog
Photo: Alexander O. Smith
Reference:
Kamakura Climate Conditions (Hikersbay)
How to make Ume Plum Syrup
