Learn to Love the Rain! Fun Facts & Trivia Quiz about the Rainy Season for Kids

cat

Although the saying “When a cat washes its face, it will rain” is a proverb, it does have a solid scientific basis. It’s said that cats wash their faces before rain because the fleas on their faces become active and itchy due to humidity, and also to groom their whiskers, which get heavier from the moisture in the air. If you see this behavior, rain might be on the way.

It looks like it's going to rain, but it hasn't started yet.

“Amemoyō” refers to a sky that looks like it’s about to rain, even though it hasn’t actually started raining yet. Its etymology is said to come from “amamotoyo(i)” (literally, ‘to bring on rain’), so “amemoyō” describes a state that portends rain—when it seems likely to start raining.

●

The weather symbol for rain is “●.” A black circle is used as the weather symbol to represent rain. At meteorological observatories, it seems they use weather symbols when recording observations. By the way, 〇 indicates clear skies, and ◎ indicates fair weather. There are other symbols that represent different weather conditions as well, so it’s interesting to look them up!

There are no particular criteria.

Weather forecasts often report the start of the rainy season, but strictly speaking, there is no official criterion for declaring it. However, because rain can cause major disasters and significantly affect daily life and the management of crops, meteorological agencies declare the start of the rainy season based on weather trends to raise public awareness.

It means that you want it to rain.

A teru teru bozu is something you hang when you wish for clear weather, but if you hang it upside down, it changes to mean “I want it to rain.” An upside-down teru teru bozu is called names like “fure fure bozu” or “ruterute bozu.” Also, a black teru teru bozu is one that wishes for rain.

umbrella

“Janome” refers to a “janome-gasa,” an old-style Japanese umbrella whose large, round patterns painted on the canopy resemble a snake’s eye. It appears in the children’s song ‘Amefuri’ and was once a staple item for rainy days. While we still use umbrellas when it rains, opportunities to see a janome-gasa have become rare.

bandage

On rainy days, your shoes can get slippery, but sticking bandages on the soles can actually make them less slippery! First, thoroughly remove any dirt and moisture from the soles, then just place one bandage each on the toe and heel areas. Definitely give it a try during the rainy season.