Meteorologists can only be so precise but in the land of precision, there is nothing precise about the summer weather forecasts!
Japan’s rainy season is reported to be June through mid- July and while I am not saying it doesn’t rain or sprinkle frequently, it shouldn’t deter your plans.
100% precipitation must mean it is 100% possible that it could rain but that rain might last 20 minutes and sprinkle lighter than a mist.
On the other hand, be ready to get drenched when it say’s “Partly Cloudy.’ Sunscreen on even the dreariest of days is necessary because weather changes unexpectedly..
Black clouds shouldn’t necessarily change your plans because in a moment they can be gone.
So leave your rain boots at home because being a little wet is better than real hot. And pack a sunbrella if you can find one as the material allows it to function as an umbrella and a parasol.
It is not a fashion statement but it is ultra- functional. There are many brands so do your research. Shed-Rain has many adequate choices. http://www.shedrain.com/
You won’t have the fashion statement of the Japanese parasols but you will be prepared for whatever the day brings.
And while on the topic of Japanese parasols, one is prettier than the next. The handmade one-of-a-kind colorful, fashion statements which offer sun protective accessories are astonishing.
http://www.thefind.com/garden/info-sun-umbrella-parasol.
Though Japan is one of the only countries in the world that can claim to have an old and original umbrella culture, Wagasa or Japanese umbrellas were first introduced to Japan from China
at the beginning of the Heian period as a way to protect members of the imperial family and aristocrats from sunlight and evil spirits.
They are made of many materials from colored rice paper to silk to bamboo to nylon – many hand painted. While some guidebooks and online articles state. ‘ Japanese umbrellas are no longer a part of daily life’., that is not what I experienced this summer. Rain or shine, at least every other person was holding a parasol or umbrella and I am sure others had them in backpacks or purses.
And the humidity is brutal… at least during the summer months.
Fans are sold everywhere. There are masculine fans, feminine fans, children’s fans, they come in all shapes and sizes with just about any product you can image on the fan from Anime Characters to waterfalls. They are in silk, bamboo, paper and can be hand designed and hand-painted to mass produced.
Maybe the Japanese don’t sweat but no matter how much deodorant, anti-perspirant and perfume we wore, we were saturated and it was embarrassingly noticeable. An industrial sized fan following us around would have been the only thing that may have helped.
I am sure the water bill at our hotel increased drastically during our stay and maybe for that reason alone the staff was smiling when we left.
We aren’t celebrities but had an entourage of staff seeing us off when we left the Park Hyatt in Tokyo and the Hyatt Regency in Kyoto. In Kyoto, the Duty Manager of the hotel personally escorted us to the taxi politely opening the door for us to get inside.
We kept offering the taxi driver more and more Yen thinking we hadn’t paid enough until we finally understood the manager had picked up our fare.
And last but certainly not least, when we got to the train station we noticed the bottom of my shoe had some animal feces I must have collected on some street somewhere along the way which is not easy to do as Japan is very clean.
Glad I had my luggage with me that day . Hurriedly, I searched through my bag and grabbed a pair of flip flops.
I dumped the shoes in a trash receptacle, which by the way, was not an easy thing to find…(finding garbage cans will be addressed in a different post.)
We hurried to our train as trains show up at the exact minute they are scheduled.
In Japan, trains, buses and metros are punctual; people do not leave you waiting; shrines, temples and gardens open and close at the exact posted minute. Even stores and restaurants do not let people linger after store hours unlike many countires where if you are buying, they are staying,
In the land of precision, only the weather report can’t be trusted.
When you go to Japan do yourself a huge favor…do not trust the weather reports and periodically watch where you step!