[Sunday Culture] Early Start of Jangma... Let's Make Dolls That Stop the Rain

Early Monsoon Arrival 6-8 Days Ahead of Average
As the Monsoon Lasts Longer, Expressions Vary... Many Related Cultures Also Exist

Many of you probably couldn’t go out properly during last week’s holiday due to the rain. In Japan, some regions have already entered the rainy season. Being an island surrounded by the sea on all sides, Japan experiences the rainy season earlier and longer than Korea. Because of this, there are many cultures related to the rainy season in Japan, and today we will introduce some of these stories.

[Image source=NHK]

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on the 29th that the northern Kyushu region, Shikoku, Kinki, and Tokai areas have entered the rainy season. They stated that this rainy season arrived 6 to 8 days earlier than usual.

Since Japan is a long island stretching from north to south, the regions and timing affected by the rainy front vary. For this reason, the Japan Meteorological Agency announces the start of the rainy season, called ‘Tsuyuiri’ (梅雨入り), meaning the beginning of the rainy season, sequentially each year. They also announce the end date, called ‘Tsuyuake’ (梅雨明け).

Korea is also quite sensitive to rain forecasts from the Meteorological Administration. The Japan Meteorological Agency says that predicting the rainy season is the most challenging period. In fact, the announcements of Tsuyuiri and Tsuyuake come in two forms: preliminary and confirmed. The preliminary announcement is based on current and forecasted weather data, while the confirmed date is calculated after the rainy season has ended, reflecting the actual timing.

Table of the start of the rainy season nationwide announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency. (Photo by Japan Meteorological Agency)

Since Japan is a country where rain falls for a long time, there are various names for the rainy season. Most people know the rainy season as ‘Tsuyu’ (梅雨) in Japanese. Besides this, there are other expressions such as ‘Baiu’, ‘Nagame’, ‘Rin’u’, and ‘Samidare’ used to refer to the rainy season.

Baiu is the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of Tsuyu (梅雨). When an on’yomi word follows, Baiu is used instead of Tsuyu. A representative example is the term for the rainy front. While one might think it is ‘Tsuyu Zensen’ (梅雨前線), it is actually read as ‘Baiu Zensen’.

Nagame (長雨) literally means “long rain,” and Rin’u (霖雨) is a term used in all Chinese character cultural spheres to mean the rainy season. The character for Rin (霖) depicts rain falling on a forest (林). According to Chinese Han dynasty dictionaries, rain lasting more than three days in summer was called this. The Joseon Dynasty’s Annals also recorded the rainy season using this character.

In literature, the rainy season rain is sometimes called Samidare (五月雨), meaning “rain in May.” This comes from the old lunar calendar, which Japan no longer uses. Since the rainy season starts in June in the solar calendar, it was called rain in May according to the lunar calendar. Interestingly, because it is a literary term, the expression ‘Samidare-shiki’ (式) is used in business language to describe situations where tasks continue without end, like the rainy season. For example, when sending multiple follow-up emails, one might say, “Sorry for the Samidare-shiki,” to apologize for the continuous requests.

As there are many expressions for the rainy season, there are also many related terms. Have you ever felt unusually sluggish or heavy-bodied during the rainy season or on gloomy, rainy days? In Japan, there is a term for the symptoms of feeling drained due to the rainy season called ‘Tsuyudaru’ (梅雨ダル). To overcome this, some people visit oriental medicine clinics or massage shops during this period to receive acupuncture, herbal medicine, or massages.

Teru Teru Bozu doll from Japan. (Photo by Amazon Japan)

One cannot forget ‘Teru Teru Bozu’ when talking about the rainy season. You may have seen scenes in Japanese movies or animations where children make white snowman-like dolls and hang them on eaves or window sills. ‘Teru’ (照る) means “to shine” or “to clear up,” and ‘Bozu’ (坊主) means “monk.” These are usually made by wrapping a round object with cloth and tying it with string, often made by children at home. There are various theories about its origin. One dark tale says it started when a monk’s head was cut off and offered as a sacrifice, causing the weather to clear. However, the accepted story is a Chinese legend where a girl prayed for the rain to stop, and the rain god said, “If you become my queen, I will stop the rain,” so the girl willingly became a sacrifice, and the doll was made to honor her.

Today, we explored Japanese culture related to the rainy season. Since the rainy season stays for a long time in Japan, there are many related cultural elements. Korea is also expected to have a particularly long rainy season this year, and we hope it passes safely without damage.