Rain charms working a bit too well!

At this time of year you can see "teru teru bozu", charms to ward off the rain, hanging in various places in Japan. I call them "rain charms" hereafter. You can read more about rain charms on City-cost here. Although, it is rainy season right now in the Kanto plain, aka the Greater Tokyo area, we have had very little rain. Perhaps the rain charms are working a little to well.

The rainy season was declared in the  Kanto-Koshin and Hokuriku regions on Tuesday June 10th in 2025. We had rain that day and the next day, June 11th, a bit of rain on the 14th and a shower on the 15th, but other than that it has been dry. Moreover, the current weather forecast for the next ten days is dry and sunny. There is currently no rain on the radar, which is very strange for rainy season. Whether the rain is yet to come, remains to be seen.

Overall rain patterns during rainy season have changed a lot in recent years. Some people say there is less rain, but that is not entirely true. The number of wet days have reduced, but the amount of rainfall not as much. It is more that there has been a shift in how and when rain falls. Nowadays, there are fewer rainy days, but precipitation can be more intense in a shorter period of time. 

Without wet days during rainy season it can be very hot, as we are experiencing right now. If this trend continues the unbearable summer weather days could potentially be for the full period of summer, not just the end of July and August as in the past. I will not be hanging any rain charms this year!