Trivia & fun facts about June

Sardines caught during the rainy season are called ‘tsuyu iwashi’ or ‘nyūbai iwashi.’

This is what Japanese pilchards (maiwashi) landed from June to July are called.

At this time of year, they’re full of fat before spawning and are said to be very tasty.

In Choshi, Chiba Prefecture—the area with the largest landings of pilchards—they’re known as “nyūbai iwashi” and recognized as a branded fish.

Sardines are also said to be “fish that drink the rains of the monsoon.” The name is said to come from the fact that they grow by feeding on nutrients carried into the sea by prolonged rains.

Pilchards in this season are delicious whether grilled or simmered, so if you spot them, why not give them a try?

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Okinawa Prefecture has designated June 23 as “Irei no Hi” (Memorial Day).

Irei no Hi (Okinawa Memorial Day) is a day to mourn those who lost their lives in the Battle of Okinawa during the Pacific War and to pray for peace; in Okinawa Prefecture, memorial services and commemorative ceremonies are held.

Although the U.S.

military declared the end of operations in Okinawa on July 2, why, then, was June 23 designated as Irei no Hi? It is because the organized fighting is considered to have ended on this date due to the suicides of the Japanese military commander in charge of Okinawa’s defense and his subordinates.

There was initially a theory supporting the 22nd, and the date was first set as June 22, but it was revised to June 23 in 1965.

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The “janome” that appears in the children’s song Amefuri refers to an umbrella.

The children’s song “Amefuri” (Rainfall) depicts a mother coming to pick up her child on a rainy day.

Have you ever wondered what “janome” means when you hear this song? Since Western-style umbrellas are now the norm, many people might not immediately get it, but there is actually a type of traditional Japanese umbrella called a “janome-gasa,” literally “snake’s-eye umbrella.” In other words, the “janome” in the song is written as “蛇の目” (snake’s eye) and refers to this umbrella.

Janome-gasa are characterized by a pattern of white concentric circles that resemble a snake’s eye, which is how they got their name.

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The colors of rainbows seen after the rain are perceived differently depending on the country.

June is the rainy season, and you might catch a rainbow after the rain.

People even say there’s treasure beneath a rainbow.

Here’s a bit of trivia about rainbows.

In Japan, a rainbow is described as seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—but in other countries, it’s different.

It’s not so much that the rainbow truly has a different number of colors, but rather that people perceive and categorize colors differently.

Depending on the country, a rainbow may be described as having three, five, or eight colors.

For the Vai people, who group all warm colors as “red” and all cool colors as “black,” a rainbow is considered to have just two colors.

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