236 June Rains

“June Rains”

A rainy day is a bad weather day.
Why is rain a bad guy?
You have to feel a bit sorry for rain.

In Japan there is a rainy season called tsuyu (梅雨).
During a long rainy spell even venturing outside is tough,
And drying laundry outdoors is next to impossible.
It’s a gloomy season for housewives.
Perhaps rain got its bad weather reputation
From neighbors chatting while sheltering under the eaves.

Tsuyu literally means “ume (apricot) rain.”
Indeed, tsuyu is the season when ume are harvested.
Rice planting also takes place during this season.
As the rice paddies fill to the brim with water,
The sprouts burst forth in tidy rows—it is a beautiful sight.

Japanese hold dear the image of the rice paddy,
The original landscape of Japanese countryside.
If the rain doesn’t fall, the rice doesn’t grow.
Rice farming requires the heavy rains of tsuyu.
We owe the good taste of Japanese rice to these rains.

A rainy day in June is a good weather day.
Flip your thinking, and have a sunny time even on rainy days.