4 Happy Facts of the Rainy Season | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

4 Happy Facts of the Rainy Season

By Yae Jun 15, 2018

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Do you like rainy days or do you prefer sunny days?
Every June, Japan welcomes the rainy season. It brings around 30 days of rain every year. Most people who live here feel down this period due to the humidity, the laundry that never gets dry, and the sky which is always gray. Also, it is very troublesome to go out during this time of the year.

However, rainy days and sunny days are two sides of the same coin. There are many advantages of spending time in the rainy days.
I’ve tried to summarize some ways for taking advantage of rainy days and how we can spend some productive time during this blue period.

 

1. Rain can Increase your Concentration Level

 

 

You can increase your concentration from rain sound thanks to the alpha waves. The alpha waves appear to your brainwaves when you concentrate on something or feel relaxed. The sound of the rain has a comfortable rhythm which makes people naturally become calm and focused. That’s an excellent remedy for concentrating while studying, working, and reading books.

If you’re working on something and can’t concentrate well during this season, try listening to the sound of the rain. Gradually you would feel relaxed, calm, and ready to focus on something.

There’s a famous Japanese proverb about rainy days. It says:

“Work in the fields on fine days and read books on rainy days.”

Of course, this proverb doesn’t mean that you can’t work on the rainy days. But, if you can spend these days reading books, I believe you can recover from tiredness and can work harder on sunny days.
No one can work well if they get too tired right? The rainy days gives an opportunity for people to have time to rest.

 

 

2.Rain is Full of Negative Ions

 

 

It’s well-known that many people feel delighted by relaxing in forests thanks to the negative ions. But did you know that you can also get negative ions from rain as well? During the rainy season, you’re fortunate to enjoy the following positive effects naturally, as negative ions can:

・Increase appetite
・Bring down the blood pressure
・Prevent from tired feeling
・Recover from tired feeling

If it rains outside, how about opening the window and have one deep breath. You will feel relaxed by the smell of the rain.

3.Moisturizing Effect and Relief to Throat

 

 

Humidity from the rainy days has a moisturizing effect on skin and
throat. Sometimes I like to believe that this is one of the reasons why many Japanese people don’t have so many age-lines.
Those not used to living close to the sea may feel uncomfortable with the humidity, but this is one of the natural ways for having beautiful skin as it helps to prevent dry skin. I hope these are good news especially for all the women living in Japan.
People say the best humidity rate for skin is of 65%. Do you want more good news? The rainy season in Japan covers this number.
Since the rain falls for about a month, this means you can keep your skin moisturized 65% naturally.

Also, you don’t need any humidifier. The natural rain can protect your throat from getting too dry too. If it’s too dry in the air, people can easily catch a cold, so the rain helps peoples’ health condition.

 

4. Rain Trivia

 

 

There are some interesting trivia talks about the raining in Japan:

 

・Rain will start pretty soon if you see a line of ants
Ants are sensitive insects. It is said that they can expect the raining in advance. They need to protect their eggs from the rain at their nests, so they quickly remove their eggs before it starts raining.

・The shape of raindrops is not like a drop. It is close to the shape of a dumpling.
When most people draw a raindrop, they often draw them with a “drop” shape. However, the actual form of the raindrop is rounder, what makes it look like a dumpling.

 

For those who don’t like rain very much, or feel down even before rainy season starts in Japan, I hope this article has cheered you up 🙂

If you love to spend time outside rather than staying at home, how about think this way? You can plan your summer vacation during the rainy season (at home).
If you can’t wait until summer, what about visiting Kamakura to enjoy the hydrangeas and temples? You can taste another Japan while enjoying the sound of the rain.

YAE
Japan