★Saori Press Vol.93★A special article for Japanese Rain Culture!

June is a blessed season! A special article for Japanese culture related to rain!

 

 

・+(*゜∀゜*)+・ “Hello everyone! I’m so fine even if it rains! It’s Saori from Otaku Republic!”

 

 

blog.livedoor.jp

 

 

(  'ω') “Hello everyone. What I want to do in a rainy day is of course reading books. I’ve recently been into reading manga-version Detective Conan. I’m Otaku Republic’s Boss.”

 

 

visitlakeus.blog.fc2.com

 

 

ヾ(･ω･｀*) “Haven’t you read Detective Conan?”

 

 

(  'ω') “I often watch its anime-version but I haven’t got any chance to read its manga-version... So I’m thinking of reading it in this rainy season, when we can concentrate on studying or reading.”

 

 

(゜∇ ゜) “That’s for sure! June is the best season for reading and studying! Since I want to let everybody in the world know more about how wonderful this Japanese season is, I’ll feature this on today’s Saori Press!”

 

 

June is a blessed season! A special article for Japanese culture related to rain!

 

 

(  'ω') “Here it comes! That’s the special number for learning Japanese culture on the basis of your preference, which you regularly hold, huh?”

 

 

(゜∇ ゜) “You’re right! June is kind of special rainy season, which doesn’t belong to any other four seasons in Japan. Something special or unique overseas can be just normal here in Japan... At the same time, you guys might be wondering what the things that you often see in anime are... Here Saori comes! I (Saori) will explain such things to you very clearly and easily to you guys... maybe...?!”

 

 

(  'ω') “Ahhh.... we want you to explain them clearly and easily, okay?”

 

 

★Teru teru bōzu / shine shine monk / てるてる坊主

 

 

vkepitaph.tistory.com

 

 

This is a little doll made out of paper or cloths, wishing that ‘It will be sunny tomorrow’.

This custom dates way back to Edo-era. This is how we make: Make a ball with paper. Cover it with a big paper. Tie it with string and hang it down at the eaves, where it can see the sky. That way, God will change the next day’s weather into sunny, looking at the Teru teru bōzu / shine shine monk, which has been believed for long in Japan.

 

 

Usually in Japan, children make this doll in the previous night of important school events such as an excursion (picnic) or a sports festival.

 

 

mcha.jp

 

 

Also, it’s been also believed that it will rain if we make the Teru teru bōzu up-side-down, especially for people who don’t like the events that they have on the next day, praying for God ‘Please make it rain tomorrow’. Children, who don’t like to do sports, make this one, wishing for canceling the sports festival.

 

 

In some regions, they make and hang down this up-side-down one on purpose, wishing for more water to the dam.

 

 

kumonotair.exblog.jp

 

 

By the way, even if we cosplay into it, I’m afraid it won’t be effective...

 

 

ameblo.jp

 

 

blog.livedoor.jp

 

 

★Kasa / Umbrella / 傘

 

 

Umbrellas are very familiar to us Japanese since our childhood because we have four clear seasons.

I’ve heard that people overseas don’t put up the umbrellas even when it’s slightly raining, but most of the Japanese cannot wait even a second to do it.

 

 

uhatokobushi.blog.fc2.com

 

 

For Japanese people, an umbrella is not only the rainwear but it’s also a fashion, a cane, a baseball bat, a samurai’s sword, a golf club, Seiken (Sacred Sword)-Excalibur and even the one we often leave behind in the train when we commute.

 

 

ameblo.jp

 

 

What’s more? You might have seen a kind of umbrella called ‘Bangasa’ in anime, right? If anybody wants to know what it’s like, please go check another Saori Press updated before.

 

 

★Saori Press Vol.50★A special article for umbrella characters!

https://otakurepublic.com/blog/entry_109.html

 

 

For Japanese people, an umbrella is such a useful tool for various purposes. If you have any chance to come to Japan, why don’t you get one for a souvenir?

 

 

todaisankousyo.blog89.fc2.com

 

 

ameblo.jp

 

 

This is what couples do, using such an umbrella. Getting under the same umbrella and walking together... In short, this is a symbol of Ria-Jyu (Abbreviation of ‘Real Jyujitsu (リア充)’ = person who is satisfied with his or her real life. In this case, it’s among boyfriends and girlfriends), whereas it’s an act that people like us, who don’t have any boyfriend or girlfriend long for.

 

 

If you do it once, you’ll know it. Especially girls’ heart will beat so fast, being so close to each other and in such an exclusive atmosphere coming from the rain.

 

 

blog.livedoor.jp

 

 

So, especially the tall boys,

 

 

http://blog.livedoor.jp/kaigai_no/archives/40618686.html

 

 

be very careful so your girlfriend don’t get wet.

 

 

http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/kaigai_no/imgs/d/0/d0fca9c0.jpg

 

 

★Azisai / Hydrangea macrophylla / 紫陽花

 

 

photozou.jp

 

 

This origin is from Japan. This flower blooms through June and July with colorful petals; white, blue, purple and red. Even though it doesn’t have strong fragrance, it’s actually poisonous. If you happen to eat it, you’ll get food poisoning. Be very careful.

 

 

http://ef6324.blog49.fc2.com/blog-entry-1329.html

 

 

If it continuously rains, most Japanese people feel depressed. But even in that situation, Azisai always shows us such colorful variation, making us happy. That’s why everybody likes this flower so much. They actually look very pretty, blooming everywhere in Japan. We really want you all to come and look at them when you come here in a rainy season.

 

 

www.travelbook.co.jp

 

 

By the way...

The color of the flowers can change due to the Ph density in the earth, which means it’s very important to have a good nutrition in the earth.

If you see a different color on only a part of the petal... there might be something hiding in the earth...

 

 

http://nanabachimemory.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-379.html

 

 

★Ame onna / Rain woman / 雨女

 

 

Is anybody around you ‘someone that brings rain whenever you see him/her’?

That kind of person is known as ‘an Ame onna (Rain woman) / an Ame Otoko (Rain men) in Japan.

 

 

matome.naver.jp

 

 

This is one of the Youkai (monsters) that has existed from a long time ago. We also call people this nickname if it rains when they do some kind of activities or join the events. It has nothing to do with them, but it rains.

 

 

http://i1.wp.com/bigmongee.com/anime/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/watch-5262.png

 

 

By the way, some people are called ‘Hare otoko (Sunny man) / Hare onna (Sunny woman) if they brings sun whenever they take actions. It’s kind of weird but we somehow recognize that women bring rains and men bring sun. By the way, in Saori’s (my) case, I might be classified as a ‘Hare onna (Sunny woman)’ since it never rains when I want it to rain, I guess. How about you?

 

 

★Kaeru / Flog / かえる

 

 

matome.naver.jp

 

メメタァ。

Memeter.

 

 

This is the sound when flogs are about to be smashed.

 

 

More details? Check this out! ↓

 

 

☆Ayami Times Vol. 05☆ The cool onomatopoeic words🎵

https://otakurepublic.com/blog/entry_107.html

 

 

Oops, even though I put the link on here, Ayami didn’t write anything about Memeter!

(｀・ω-´) Come on! You gotta write about this, Ayami!!!!!!

 

 

Alright, next!

 

 

★Katatsumuri / Snail / かたつむり

 

 

hitosara.com

 

 

I’ve heard it’s delicious, but Saori (I) has no confident to actually eat it.

 

 

http://blog-imgs-59-origin.fc2.com/k/a/i/kaisai2222/20130911a02.jpg

 

 

(  'ω') “You make your own comment at the end as usual... Explain it to us more seriously.”

 

 

（　´_ゝ`） “I mean... you know...? Snail to me is “a creature that I would often see in a rainy day” since a little girl... Then they say it’s something to eat? It’s quite hard to understand, though.”

 

 

(  'ω') “No way. It’s pretty delicious. Since I often see it on the menu in Japanese family restaurant, I really don’t have awareness that I don’t like it.”

 

 

shokumania.exblog.jp

 

 

（　´_ゝ`） “Mmmm... this does look delicious though... weird... Oh well, let’s go to a family restaurant to eat lunch since I’m getting hungry even though it’s raining outside.”

 

 

tsurebashi.blog123.fc2.com

 

 

(  'ω') “Oh? Great. Since it’s raining, I’ll treat you the escargot (edible snail) in question.”

 

 

(゜∇ ゜) “Really! I wanna eat steak!”

 

 

(  'ω') “I’ll treat only the escargot to you. You pay for the steak, okay?”

 

 

 （　´_ゝ`） “Let’s get some delivery pizza since it’s raining today.”

 

 

www.kk1up.jp

 

 

(  'ω') “Alright, alright, don’t be lazy like that. There’s something we can enjoy even in a rainy day, you know? Okay now, we’ll see you all at the next Saori Press~!”

 

 

Byeeee!

 

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