Typhoons and rain - being an American in Japan during the summer

As I mentioned yesterday, it's now officially the rainy season in Japan and we got the first big storm of the season in the form of Tropical Storm Guchol (Typhoon #4), that passed literally right over where I live last night around midnight. I didn't see any real damage beyond a lot of leaves blown off trees in my area but there are reports of injuries and a few deaths and I heard on the news that one old man had a door slam on his hand and ended up losing a finger in the process. Man, that sucks.

A few days ago on the morning wide show ZIP! they surveyed foreigners to see if it's true that a lot of people from other countries don't carry an umbrella even when the forecast is for a storm, and if so, why? Their answer was yes, a lot of us crazy gaijin don't bother with umbrellas. And from my experiences I'd say it's mostly true, especially for people from N American or European backgrounds.


The Americans they talked to all said it's because they like the rain. The smells, sounds of drops hitting roofs and the refreshing cool down it gives were all listed as reasons. I personally carry an umbrella here if I think we're going to get wet, but not because the rain bothers me - I'm more worried about my phone and camera. If I could replace everything with waterproof models I'd dump the umbrella in a heartbeat.

But for me the rainy season is also a time of reflection. The first big storms are a clear reminder of the passage of time - another year is half over. I arrived in Japan in 1998 just as the rainy season was ending, so for me it also feels like a resetting of the world.

There's also something to be said about the experience of the storm itself. Sitting in my apartment - a huge white slab of concrete - you can feel it sway just faintly as pounding waves of rain and winds hit the walls. Stand on the balcony and you're right in the middle of the maelstrom. In my case I can usually stay dry out there too, since the stairwell blocks most of the winds coming from the south or west.

If there's a better time to have a smoke and a beer I can't imagine it.

Silence comes in many forms; the deafening sound of rain and wind works just as good as nothingness. Listen. Feel the world move around you, the power and energy and you know you are a part of it all.


BTW, the pic above is a few days old, but it's a nice pic of the sky at dusk after a storm passed by.