by Brenda L.
Big news, read all about it! It rains in Japan.
Actually, it rains A LOT in Japan.
So much so that I was pretty annoyed by it in the beginning of my time on the JET Program. Having come from the almost sunny-all-year-round comfort of Los Angeles, it was such a new experience battling it out with the natural elements. I kept waiting for this “rainy season” to end, and it had only taken me a year of living in Japan to realize there is no rainy season. It simply rains on and off all year round – with more rain pouring in some months than in others.
In Los Angeles, it makes sense to cancel plans if it rains, but if we did that in Japan, we’d be canceling plans left and right. At some point, you just gotta say, “let’s go, rain or shine!”
It really took some getting used to until I acquired the right equipment to go out without having always gotten my clothes and shoes wet. What was I even carrying an umbrella for?
From then on, you’ll learn to appreciate Nara in a new light. Oftentimes, the usual crowded areas with tourists like Koriyama Castle Ruins or Nara Park will be quite peaceful and empty. Walks in a park like Umami Kyuryo Park may make you feel as if you’re an important person taking a stroll through your private garden. The air quality smells more fresh, the greenery’s thirst quenched. Truly, the copious amounts of rain is the secret to Japan giving birth to the most beautiful flora and surreal nature landscapes I thought I would only ever see in idyllic impressionist era paintings.
As you walk under your umbrella in the rain, all the sounds are drowned out by the downpour of droplets hitting various surfaces. You feel like you’re in your own world under that single umbrella, with the soothing sound of the rain washing away any thoughts, good or bad. Leaving you alone to soak in the present moment like the plentiful leaves that surround you.
So if you’re ever on the fence about getting out of the comfort of your cozy and warm home for a unique experience of Nara, this is your sign to pick up that umbrella, slip on those rain boots, and head on out to see what wonders a rainy day in Nara has in store for you.
