[For Kids] Trivia & Fun Facts Quiz About June

swallow

It’s said that when swallows fly low, it’s going to rain. Changes in air pressure and humidity before rain affect the height at which insects—the swallows’ food—fly, and swallows fly lower to catch them. This saying has been passed down from the wisdom of people in the past who observed animals and nature.

girl

The model for the teru teru bōzu is a girl from China. She is known as “Saoqing Niang,” a girl who stopped a long spell of rain, and in China there is a custom of hanging dolls of her. That custom was brought to Japan and evolved into the present form of the teru teru bōzu.

rain cloud icon

In Japanese weather forecasts, an umbrella icon is used to indicate rain, whereas overseas forecasts generally use a rain cloud icon. This is said to be because opening an umbrella when it rains isn’t necessarily taken for granted in other countries. Incidentally, Korean weather forecasts use the umbrella icon just like Japan.

China

“Tsuyu” (the rainy season) is a term that came from China. In China, it was named because the plums ripen during this period. It is also called “baiu,” written with the character for mold (黴), due to the tendency for mold to grow easily at this time, giving the alternate form 黴雨.

dry rainy season

A rainy season with exceptionally little rainfall is called a “dry rainy season.” Even after the start of the rainy season is declared, if the precipitation during that period is lower than the average, it is referred to as a dry rainy season. When this happens, there is an increased risk of damage to crops in fields and a higher risk of heatstroke in summer, so caution is necessary.

cat

There’s a saying that when a cat washes its face, it’s going to rain. Before it rains, humidity rises, and the moisture makes a cat’s whiskers feel heavier, so they wash their face to relieve it. Another explanation is that increased humidity makes the fleas on their face more active and itchy, prompting them to wash their face.

summer solstice

The day when daytime is longest and nighttime is shortest in a year is the summer solstice. From this day onward, the hours of sunlight gradually decrease. Around the Arctic, the sun does not set all day, creating the “midnight sun.” Incidentally, the day when daytime is shortest and nighttime is longest in a year is the winter solstice.

Cavity Prevention Day

June 4 is “Cavity Prevention Day,” established to widely promote the importance of preventing tooth decay and to protect public health. The date was chosen because the numbers 6 and 4 can be read together as “mushi” (a play on words linked to cavities) in Japanese. In addition, the period from June 4 to 10 is designated as “Dental and Oral Health Week,” so take this opportunity to revisit the importance of toothbrushing and dental checkups.

rainy weather

When we hear amemoyō (rainy-looking), we tend to imagine that it’s already raining, but it actually refers to a state where it looks like it might rain yet isn’t. However, in modern usage it can also be used when it’s already raining, so if you hear “amemoyō” in a weather forecast, be sure to watch out for rain.

Minazuki (the traditional Japanese name for the sixth month)

June is the rainy season, so the term “Minazuki,” which literally seems to mean “month without water,” might feel odd. In fact, it doesn’t mean there is no water. The character 無 in Minazuki can be read as “no” in the sense of the possessive particle “of,” so Minazuki actually means “the month of water.” One explanation is that the name comes from the fact that this is the time of year when rice paddies are filled with water.