CONTENTS
Daily downpours and blooming flowers make June in Japan an interesting experience.
What and When is Tsuyu?
The people of Japan area proud of their country's four seasons. The seasonal celebrations and traditions that come with spring, summer, fall, and winter are an intrinsic part of Japanese culture. But while poets wax rhapsodic about the beauty of spring and fall, you'll hear less about one of Japan's shorter seasonal periods: tsuyu.
Tsuyu (梅雨) is Japan's rainy season, and it sweeps over Japan early every summer. For most of the country, the rainy season lasts from around early June to the second half of July, shifting earlier or later by latitude. Japan's humid summer weather can stretch late into the year, but it generally starts here. And while it doesn't rain every single day during tsuyu (in fact they say that the chance of inclement weather during tsuyu is about 45% every day in Tokyo), the rain is definitely frequent. Each day you're just about as likely to encounter a thunderstorm as blue skies, so it's really no surprise that many people tend to visit Japan later in the summer.
But, none of that means you should avoid a trip to Japan during tsuyu! And if you've already got one planned, you certainly don't need to worry. There are plenty of ways to have a great time in Japan during the rainy season.
How to Enjoy Tsuyu in 4 Steps ・ Making the Most of Japan’s Rainy Season
① Wish for Sunny Days – Make a Teru Teru Bozu
Start your Japanese experience before your trip even starts! Teru teru bozu (てるてる坊主) are little dolls made of white paper or cloth, and they can look a little like the ghost dolls made around Halloween in other parts of the world. But teru teru bozu aren't supposed to be scary―at least not for humans. They're meant to work a little like scarecrows, except they're made to scare away the rain! (You might have seen them at work in the popular anime film Weathering with You.) Make a couple of teru teru bozu and hang them in the window before you leave for Japan. Hopefully the Shinto gods of Japan will listen and give you sunny days all throughout your travels.
② Escape the Weather – Explore Japan Indoors
Teru teru bozu not working to keep the rain away? Well there's plenty to enjoy indoors in Japan, too! Sing karaoke in Shibuya, spend a morning in a cat cafe, splurge on a multi-course meal of crab cuisine to last the afternoon, or head to one of Japan's thousands of museums! Art museums like the Yayoi Kusama Museum (shown above) are quite popular, and museums and galleries across Japan feature everything from contemporary creators to ancient Japanese art, even European old masters.
Don't think you're an art museum kind of person? There is a great variety of museums in Japan! Railway lovers can't resist the SCMaglev and Railway Park in Nagoya.
The extremely popular teamLab "digital art museums" are experiential and interactive facilities with rooms that experiment with light, sound, and feeling to create otherworldly experiences, so they're obviously great for rainy days as well! Just don't forget to snag a ticket in advance.
The museums that focus on popular media, like the famous Ghibli Museum and Snoopy Museum Tokyo, are especially fun for travelers of all ages!
✴ Read more: 5 Exhibitions Open in Tokyo, Summer 2020
③ Embrace the Rain – Enjoy Beautiful Scenery and Fresh Flowers
It might seem like kind of a drag to go out sightseeing in the rain, but sometimes the wet weather can make for a particularly enchanting experience. (And you won't find a better excuse to buy a cute Japanese umbrella as a souvenir.) Tsuyu coincides perfectly with Japan's hydrangea season, and while the flowers are perfectly nice on a sunny day, the rain gathering on the many blue and purple hydrangea petals brings out a new beauty. The colors seem particularly vibrant, and the light glitters off the raindrop-covered flowers.
The rain adds a romantic mood to many popular Japanese sightseeing destinations, as well, including the old-fashioned teahouse streets of Kanazawa. The centuries-old Japanese architecture never looks as good as it does glistening in rain and glowing in the streetlamp light.
✴ Read more: A Walk Through Kanazawa's Charming Chaya Districts
④ Become One with Tsuyu!? – Soak in the Water
Tired of carrying around an umbrella, and feeling ready to give in? Well, it turns out, that can be a pretty blissfully relaxing experience! Immerse yourself in the rain (somewhat literally) by indulging in an outdoor onsen bath. Onsen (温泉, hot springs) are extremely popular throughout Japan, and many onsen bathhouses offer outdoor baths open to the elements. Surrounded on all sides by steaming hot natural spring water, a little bit of rain falling on your head doesn't seem like such a big deal.
Of course, for those who'd rather soak in only the sounds of the rain and stick to normal bath water on their skin, Japan has plenty of indoor hot springs and public baths (銭湯, sento). Listen to the pitter-patter of the rain on the window while zoning out in the warm tub.
✴ Read more: Tattoo Friendly Onsen in Japan
What Are Your Plans for Tsuyu?
Whether you want to brave the weather and get a little wet, or explore Japan using the subway to slip from one indoor attraction to another, tsuyu doesn't have to stop you from having an amazing time during your travels! Let us know about your rainy season plans, ask us questions about Japan, and tell us about your past adventures in Japan on our twitter, instagram, and facebook!
Details
NAME:Tsuyu (梅雨)
PROFILE
Follow us @Japankuru on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MOREWhich snacks make the best Japanese souvenirs?~ Jaga Pirika ~ 일본과자 선물 뭐하지?~자가피리카 편~ #pr #calbee #jagapokkuru #japanesesnacks #japanesefood #japanesesouvenir #japantravel #japantrip #naritaairport #hokkaido #나리타국제공항 #일본여행선물 #흔하지않은기념품 #일본쇼핑리스트 #일본과자추천 #고구마과자 #일본간식추천 #일본면세점쇼핑 #개별포장 #일본감자칩 #도쿄나리타공항면세점 #현지인추천 #일본여행 #일본기념품리스트 #자가포쿠루 #자가피리카
Asakusa's Sanja Matsuri, one of the biggest festivals in all of Tokyo, is almost here! Make sure you check out the festival route so you don't miss all the festivities this May. #asakusa #sanjafestival #sanjamatsuri #asakusashrine #sensoji #sensojitemple #japanesefestival #shintoshrine #japaneseculture #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #asakusasightseeing #matsuri #japantrip #japantravel #springinjapan #tokyotravel #japankuru #산자마츠리 #아사쿠사 #일본마츠리 #일본여행 #일본5월
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄
Evangelion, in miniature!? Tokyo's SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum is actually a must-see for anime lovers, thanks to the tiny Evangelion Hangar and Tokyo-III... plus a whole universe of other scenes both real and fictional. #smallworlds #smallworldstokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japantrip #japantravel #에반게리온 #스몰월드 #에반겔리온 #スモールワールズ #오다이바 #아리아케
Have you sat down for a snack at Sumida Aquarium yet? This aquarium next to Tokyo Skytree is known for its penguins and garden eels, but we can't get enough of their cute snacks! There are lots of good seats around the aquarium, too, so it almost feels like one big cafe. 🐧 • Find out more at Japankuru.com! (Link in bio.) • #japankuru #sumidaaquarium #skytree #tokyoskytree #solamachi #sumida #tokyo #tokyotrip #tokyotravel #aquarium #japanesesweets #themecafe #すみだ水族館 #Japan #日本 #일본 #Japon #ญี่ปุ่น #Japão #япония #japantravel #日本旅行 #日本旅遊 #japan_of_insta #japantrip #traveljapan #japan🇯🇵 #igerstokyo #explorejapan
For anime fans, the Evangelion areas at Small Worlds Miniature Museum are a must see! The tiny miniature people in the Evangelion Hangar look like ants beneath the moving Unit-01, Unit-00, and Unit-02! And over in Tokyo-III, characters like Shinji, Rei, and Katsuragi live life on a miniature scale. #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #ariake #smallworlds #miniaturemuseum #smallworldstokyo #tokyotravel #evangelion #eva #anime #miniature #miniatures #animefigure #japankuru #스몰월드 #에반게리온 #오다이바 #오다이바관광 #오다이바스몰월드 #미니어쳐