Rainy Season (tsuyu)

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Rainy Season (tsuyu, Japan)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: various

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Explanation

The rainy season is part and parcel of a farmer's life in Japan, some haiku masters even consider it a season in itself. There are many kigo related to this time, we will explore some of them here.

In 2005, we have parts of Northern Japan almost flooded with seasonal rain, whereas in Western Japan, where I live, there has not been a decent drop of rain for weeks on end, the terraced rice fields are dry and the rice could not be planted.

I have written about the Gods of the Elements,which make our life so unpredictable.

Also refer to this entry for more about the rains:
WHC World Kigo Database: Rain in various kigo




may rain -
leaves dancing in
the forest mist

The rainy season lasts usually from early June till the middle of July. Most days are cloudy and we have strong showers, sometimes on a daily bases. TSUYU, bai-u 梅雨, literally means "Rain on the Plums", because these fruit are ripe now and farmers prepare dried plums (umeboshi) as a staple for the summer.

Now let us look at the kigo.

Gabi Greve

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Kigo for the Season

beginning of the rainy season, nyuubai 入梅, tsuiri 梅雨入, tsuyu hajimaru　梅雨はじまる
entering into the rainy season, tsuyu ni iru 梅雨にいる
feeling like the rainy season is coming, tsuyu no kehai 梅雨の気配
feeling cold during the rainy season, tsuyu samu　梅雨寒, tsuyu samushi, tsuyubie　梅雨冷, samuki tsuyu寒き梅雨

humid heat, sultry, mushiatsushi (mushiatsui) 蒸し暑し
..... shissho　湿暑 ... jokusho　じょくしょ　溽暑
humidity, shikke　湿気
... toward the end of the rainy season

end of the rainy season, tsuyu-ake　梅雨明け, tsuyu agaru　梅雨あがる
after the rainy season, tsuyu no ato　梅雨のあと

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Kigo for the Heavens

sky of the rainy season, tsuyuzora　梅雨空,
................................tsuyu no sora　梅雨の空,
"plum sky", baiten　梅天

sky of the fifth month, satsukizora　皐月空 (old lunar calendar)
stars of the rainy season, tsuyu no hoshi　梅雨の星
moon of the rainy season,tsuyu no tsuki 梅雨の月
clouds of the rainy season, tsuyugumo　梅雨雲, tsuyugumori 梅雨雲り: kigo for mid-summer
.............................................satsukigumo　皐月雲

rain in May before the rainy season, "running rainy season"
......hashirizuyu　走り梅雨, tsuyu no hashiri　梅雨の走り
before the rainy season, maezuyu 前梅雨
welcoming the rainy season, mukaezuru　迎え梅雨

rainy season, tsuyu　梅雨、bai-u　
rainfront of the season bai-u zensen　梅雨前線
............ ( a word used in the weather forecast)
time of the rainy season, tsuyudoki　梅雨時

humid southern wind, shippuu　湿風
..... onpuu 温風
In late summer, toward the end of the rainy season, bringing wet air from the ocean.

green rainy season, aotsuyu　青梅雨
..... (rain on the green leaves of the forest)

wild rainy season, arazuyu　荒梅雨
thunder during rainy season, tsuyu kaminari 梅雨雷, tsuyu no rai梅雨の雷 (kigo for mid-summer)

no rain in the season, empty rainy season、karatsuyu　空梅雨
..... drought in the rainy season, hideritsuyu　旱梅雨
..... karetsuyu　涸梅雨

bacteria rain, bai-u　黴梅雨
..... (we have a lot of mold during the season)

spell of fine weather during the rainy season, tsuyu harema　梅雨晴れ間
..... tsuyubare　梅雨晴、tsuyu no hare 梅雨の晴, tsuyu haru　梅雨晴る : kigo for mid-summer


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Worldwide use

India

Monsoon ..(India, South Asia) a season in itself in India.
Rains – called Varsha - in the months of Shravan and Bhadrapad, approximately July and August .
The INDIA SAIJIKI


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

入梅や蟹かけ歩大座敷
nyûbai ya kani kake-aruku ôzashiki

rainy season--
a crab strolls into
the sitting room

Issa

Tr. by David Lanoue. There are more haiku by Issa:
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/searchissa.php?sorter=date&s_string=rainy+season&season=&s_date=

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梅雨明けに心晴れ晴れ青い空
tsuyu-ake ni kokoro harebare aoi sora

rainy season is over -
my heart is all shining
the sky so blue

.. .. ..

会いたくて会えないままに梅雨明け
aitakute aenai mama ni tsuyu ake

wanting to meet you
but it was not ment to be -
rainy season is over

Akiko
(Tr. Gabi Greve)
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Bookend-Akiko/3296/haiku022.htm

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鰐口のにぶき響や走り梅雨
waniguchi no nibuki hibiki ya hashirizuyu

the sound of the temple gong
so different -
rainy season is coming

内山照久 Uchiyama Teruhisa
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

On this link there are many more haiku about the coming rainy season.
http://www.haisi.com/saijiki/hasirituyu2.htm

waniguchi , crocodile mouht, is a flat temple gong, which looks like the open mouth of a crocodile. Some musicians say instruments sound more flat during the rains.

See my story about Jindai-Ji Temple and Daruma

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小太鼓の少女の微笑梅雨晴間
kodaiko no shoojo no emi tsuyu jikan

rainy season -
the little girl's smile when
banging the drum

朝吹英和 Asabuki Hidekazu

.. .. ..

青梅雨の素焼きの鉢の重たかり
aotsuyu no suyaki no hachi no omotakeri

rain on green leaves -
the pot without a glaze
feels so heavy

小林 檀 Kobayashi Dan

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

Many more haiku abou the rainy season:
http://www.geocities.jp/haiku_square/sq.04.07.html

See my explanation about Drums of Japan

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may rain -
the temple garden
shrouded in red

At Mt. Koya, Koya-san

© Photo and Haiku by Gabi Greve

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Related words

***** World Kigo Database: Monsoon

***** Drought (hideri, Japan)


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Please send your contributions to Gabi Greve
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