In the Japanese traditional koyomi almanac, the tsuyuiri, or start of the rainy season, is set at June 10th. The actual date, however, varies annually and by region. The weather front that brings the rains, known as the baiu-zensen, moves steadily up from the southwest. For the Kanto-Koshin Region (Kanto plus Yamanashi and Nagano prefecture), the average arrival date is June 7th.
This year, however, the baiu-zensen monsoon front has been unusually slow moving northwards through the archipelago. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s website (in Japanese), the start of the season was announced for the Ryukyu Islands on May 21st, for southern Kyushu on June 8th, Shikoku on June 9th, and northern Kyushu on June 17th. The Kinki and Kanto-Koshin regions weren’t announced until June 21st, about two weeks later than usual. The end of the rainy season in the Kanto-Koshin region is predicted for July 22nd.
The Japanese rainy season isn’t a continuous stretch of pouring rain. Some days are just cloudy, with occasional glimpses of blue sky. These days are often relatively cool as well, and surprisingly can be excellent for walks or bikes in the satoyama countryside. Still need to bring plenty of water though! Natural light during the rainy season light is subdued and dispersed by high clouds. Japanese flower enthusiasts prize this light as ideal for appreciating the deep color saturation of hydrangea and iris flowers.
Hydrangea flowerheads consist of two different types of flowers. Around the outer edge of the inflorescence are showy flowers with large colorful sepals that serve as advertisements to attract insect pollinators but usually do not set seed. The tiny seed-producing flowers are located in the center of the bloom.
The ornamental hydrangeas we enjoy today all originate from the gaku-ajisai (Hydrangea macrophylla), a native Japanese shrub that thrives on hills and low mountains along the peninsulas extending into the warm Japan Current. In the late 18th century, specimens were brought from China to England by the plant explorer and botanist Joseph Banks. Numerous ornamental varieties were later developed in Europe, including some with immense, densely-packed flowerheads.
Hydrangeas are widely planted in parks, gardens, and temple grounds. The varieties close to the original gaku-ajisai feature a few to a dozen ornamental flowers around the edges, and a dense cluster of tiny seed-producing flowers in the center. More spectacular varieties, known as seiyo-ajisai or simply ajisai, boast abundant ornamental flowers but usually have few or none of the seed-producing ones. The color of the flowers varies depending on soil ph – acidic soils yield blueish hues, while alkaline soils produce pinkish colors. Many parks and famous temples have gardens packed with hundreds of hydrangea bushes, but my personal favorites are those found at small local temples scattered across the satoyama countryside. Hydrangea leaves typically measure 10-15 cm in length, with a broad profile and rough teeth along the edges.
The Meteorological Agency’s site notes that the baiu rains can cause disastrous floods and landslides, but are also necessary for securing sufficient water to see the rice crop through the coming summer heat. On my countryside rides, I regularly check in at my favorite local tame-ike, small irrigation ponds historically used to collect and store water for the rice paddies. Tame-ike are typically dug at the head of narrow valleys or along the edges of the alluvial plain, where water naturally seeps from surrounding slopes. The water is collected in the pond and eventually sent downstream to the waiting paddies through sluice gates. Often there is a small island in the pond, reached by a bridge, that features a shrine or commemorative stone dedicated to a Suijin water deity. Nowadays, the paddy water is usually pumped up from underground or piped in from marshes and rivers, and the traditional irrigation ponds have lost their original function. Nevertheless, most tame-ike are still maintained by the local villagers.
Sacred irrigation pond with Suijin shrine on an island in the center (Kechienji Temple). Out in the satoyama countryside, the Buddhist deity Benzaiten is a popular Suijin water deity enshrined at sacred irrigation ponds.
Sacred irrigation ponds, in addition to being irreplaceable cultural heritages, provide vital natural habitats for a wide variety of wildlife, including aquatic plants, dragonflies, frogs, snakes and wading birds such as herons and egrets. One of my favorite dragonflies encountered around sacred irrigation ponds is the koshiaki-tonbo or pied skimmer (Pseudothemis zonata). These insects have black bodies with yellow or white bands at the base of their abdomen. In males, the band is solid, and starts off yellow then turns white as the insect matures. The female band is interrupted by a small gap, and does not become completely white even at maturity.
Immature male pied shimmer (top) and female. The male’s abdominal band will turn white as the insect matures. Many irrigation ponds, especially those associated with Buddhist temples, are planted with water lilies and lotus. These perennial herbaceous plants grow from roots and rhizomes anchored in the pond’s bottom mud, from which they send up their leaves and flower stalks. Water lily (genus Nymphaea) leaves and flowers usually float on the water surface, while lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) leaves and flowers rise well above the water. The leaves emerge rolled up like a cigar, but later spread out.
Water lily leaf and flower floating on surface of pond. Lotus pond at small local temple. Newly emerged leaf rolled up. Lotus flower in bud stage. Lotus flower in full bloom. Inside of lotus flower – Small yellowish pistils are embedded in a thick receptacle, surrounded by dozens of long white-tipped stamens . To prevent self-pollination, the pistils usually mature before the stamens open.
Lotus and water lily flowers, collectively known as renge, hold an important symbolism in Buddhist iconography. Buddhist deities are often depicted sitting on rengeza lotus thrones or holding lotus flowers and leaf stalks in their hands. These plants start off stuck in the thick mud at the bottom of the pond, but end up with beautiful flowers blooming in the clear blue sky. A Buddhist friend tells me that this represents the way people who follow the right path can find their way from suffering to enlightenment.
This time of year marks a crucial point in the agricultural calendar. The winter wheat crop has been harvested, and the rice plants have taken root and are growing tall and strong. In the past, farmers would perfrom mushi-okuri or ‘send the insects away’ ceremonies, during which they would symbolically drive the grasshoppers, caterpillars and other insect pests to the boundary of the village.
In the Hokuso region, farmers also celebrated by making special sweets, called barappa manju, to express gratitude for the wheat harvest. These buns are made from newly threshed and ground wheat flour, filled with sweetened azuki bean paste, and steamed on leaves of native chinaroot vine (Smilax china). In some villages the buns were used to ceremonially lentice the insects out of the rice paddies. These wonderful customs, unfortunately, have almost completely disappeared. One Japanese style bakery in Shiroi City still preserves the tradition by making and selling traditional barappa-manju, but only for a few days each July, and only to those who place orders in advance.
