Japan's Rainy Season and Me
Memories keeping flooding back to me at this time of year
Need for Change
Toronto, ON, Canada is well-known for its unpredictable weather throughout the year. It can snow in spring and even on Halloween! Yet, despite the unpredictability, people are used to the change. It is always the first topic of casual conversation, usually with great derision. People rarely own an umbrella. The most important aspect of Toronto’s weather is that it will change, for better or worse.
This is where I was born and raised for at least the first half of my life.
On the topic of change, an opportunity of a lifetime arose. I chose to quit my tiresome and stale office job and live in Japan as an English teacher. A journey like no other. A significant change, indeed!
For some, 20 years ago may seem like a distant memory, but for me, it feels like just yesterday. Whenever the rainy season arrives, those vivid memories come flooding back.
20+ Years Ago - Before the Rain
Before the rainy season began, I arrived in Japan during the time when Prime Minister Koizumi was promoting the privatization of Japan Post. At that time, the McDonald’s restaurants still featured the old red and yellow chairs and tables, with Ronald McDonald’s clown face leering down at customers while they ate. The first World Cup hosted by Japan, took place around this time, which helped football gain more recognition as a legitimate sport here. Go Blue!
As a stranger in a strange land, I was a fish out of water.
My first month in Japan was an intense experience. Busy would be an understatement. There was so much to learn, from training for work, to commuting, and even figuring out how to use an ATM. I don’t remember much because everything was in constant motion. Change was a constant. But I do remember the weather forecast calling for a long hard rainy season, so we had to prepare for that. What was rainy season anyway? Whatever. Bring it on!
My First Rainy Season in Japan
The rain began to fall.
The second and third months proved to be even harder, but I remember them with vivid clarity. With a sunrise at 4:30 in the morning, work stress, the stress of adapting to a new culture, constantly increasing temperatures, dampness, rising humidity, changes in diet and eating habits (I had to eat in a department store daily to escape the heat) and the ever-constant rain, it was a huge challenge.
Day after day, the rain fell.
I had to take at least 2-3 showers a day. I remember taking a shower in the morning, and as I stepped out of my dirty rental apartment to walk to the train station, I was already sweating profusely (Not that it mattered much because the rain already had me soaking wet). It was a 1.2 km walk. Chiba was especially bad, with its large puddles that I had to navigate through (which, by the way, dress shoes aren’t good for in the rain), and endure the ninja mosquitoes that I mentioned in a previous article.
I was not prepared.
I remember being squeezed into crowded commuter trains every morning. The poorly air-conditioned cars had everyone pickling in their sweat and body odor. It felt like being sardines in a can. My Canadian clothes were too heavy, my tie was a noose, and I was getting tired of drinking Coca-Cola! (it was the only beverage I could understand).
Pictures can say a thousand words.
The rain continued.
And then, one day, a student innocently asked if I missed Canada. After a moment, I replied, stifling the explosion of upsurging bittersweet emotions, that I did. As tears streamed down my face like the constant rain outside, I politely excused myself from that class immediately and went home early.
I still remember the words of an NHK anchor shortly after.
“The rainy season can be a particularly depressing time for some people. For those of you that are suffering, you can take comfort by looking at the beautiful multicolored hydrangeas.” NHK News Anchor
After hearing that, I wanted to laugh out loud in bouts of madness and frustration. I saw these flowers every day for weeks on end and they didn’t do anything for me. The small TV assigned to me almost learned about gravity from my second story apartment right at that moment.
The Sun Eventually Breaks Through
The past is the past. Enduring hardships builds character. I don’t like to give up.
Nowadays, aside from mosquitoes and humidity, the rainy season doesn’t bother me any more than the average Japanese person (my board games suffer more than I do). When the rainy season arrives, memories of the past come to mind. Eventually, the rain stops, and the sun breaks through the clouds.
Everything is fine. Everything is fine.
It’s just a little wet.
Stay dry and look at the beautiful hydrangea.
Thanks for reading.
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