Rainy season in Japan goes from June until the end of July. It is called the “Plum Rains” 梅雨 , as it is the time of year that the Japanese ume ripen.
Pickled ume, called umeboshi 梅干 , is a staple of Japanese cooking. Its pretty plumy-coral color and salty-sour taste finds its way into everything from rice toppings (like dried umeboshi flavored shiso leaves) to onigri ãŠã«ãŽã‚Š filling. I like to eat umeboshi in small quantities as a garnish to accentuate the flavor of the main dish – sort of like how a wedge of lemon brings out the sweetness in fish.
Green, unripened ume is fermented in shÅchÅ« (燒酎) to make Umeshu 梅酒, or “plum wine”. I have tasted it once, when I was in Tokyo. Packaged in a bright green little green jar and containing whole pieces of fruit, it was sweet yet mouth-puckeringly bitter.
This year, the beginning of 梅雨 has been marked by an unusual event. Apparently, in some parts of Japan, fish and tadpoles have been mixed in with the rain – much like the phenomenon portrayed in the movie Magnolia.
My Twitter friend @KimonoBox writes in her post “Plum Rain or Tadpole Rain” ( Please do click on the link to see photos of these colorful, red-footed tadpoles!):
“The Asahi newspaper reported the appearance of fish rain in Ishikawa with …small fish raining down from above. Whilst in Kanazawa witnesses discovered hundreds of dead tadpoles measuring 2-3 centimetres long. That’s a little creepy!”
Here in Kashiwa, it’s been raining for almost a week straight, resulting in piles of dirty laundry from being unable to use the outdoor clothes tree.
We haven’t seen any misplaced aquatic creatures, although this afternoon’s rainbow was a welcomed treat.