Get Interested in Rain! A Collection of Trivia and Fun Facts
Do you like rain?Some people dislike it because events and outings get canceled, while others feel a little rain is necessary for the crops they’re growing.
There are many viewpoints.In this article, we’ll introduce fun facts and trivia about rain for a general audience—so both rain-lovers and rain-haters can learn more about it.We’ve gathered a variety of knowledge: weather forecasts that convey rain, facts about the rainy season, and how animals signal rain.Once you learn more about rain, you might find yourself a bit more interested in it.Be sure to check it out!
Rain Becomes Fascinating! Trivia & Fun Facts Collection (1–10)
It can rain even when the forecast says a 0% chance of precipitation.
Even when the weather forecast says a 0% chance of precipitation, the sky can suddenly turn ominous and it may rain.
In forecasts, “0% chance of precipitation” doesn’t mean it will never rain; it means the probability is extremely low.
Also, 0% doesn’t literally mean zero—it generally means less than 5%.
In other words, there is still some chance of rain.
To avoid getting caught in a sudden shower, it’s a good idea to carry a foldable umbrella if the weather looks even a little suspicious.
Because it’s the time when plums ripen, the character for ‘rainy season’ (tsuyu) includes the kanji for ‘plum’ (ume).
The character for “plum” (梅) is said to be used in the word tsuyu (the rainy season) because this period coincides with when plums ripen.
In China, because the season’s weather and temperature changes make mold likely to grow, it was written as 黴雨, meaning “mold rain.” In Japan, since this season overlaps with the time when plums ripen and is considered auspicious, the character 梅 came to be used, giving rise to the term 梅雨.
You could say that the characters for 梅雨 are closely tied to the season’s natural phenomena and everyday life.
This is also exactly the time when people make plum juice and plum syrup.
The smell of rain is called “petrichor.”
You know how there’s a distinctive smell when it rains? I think everyone has noticed it at least once.
Did you know that smell actually has an official name? It’s called “petrichor.” The term is a coinage combining the Greek words petra, meaning “stone,” and ichor, meaning “the blood of the gods.” In English it’s spelled “petrichor.” The name was coined by mineralogists Isabel Joy Bear and R.
G.
Thomas when they published their paper in Nature.
“Amemoyō” describes a situation where it isn’t actually raining.
The term “amemoyou” (literally, “rain-like”) is used to describe weather where it hasn’t started raining yet, but it looks like it could any moment.
It conveys a scene where the sky is dull and overcast, or rain seems imminent.
Once it actually starts raining, you wouldn’t call it amemoyou; you would simply say that it’s raining.
When you use the word amemoyou, think of a situation where rain seems about to begin but hasn’t started yet—this will help you use it appropriately.
Try using it before the rain starts.
Teru teru bozu have existed since the Edo period.
Teru teru bozu is a Japanese custom that has been known since the Edo period.
However, it is said to have originally been introduced from China.
In the Edo period, people did not draw faces on teru teru bozu as we do today; instead, they would draw a face once the weather cleared as a sign that their wish had come true, offer sacred sake, and then float it down a river.
Because agriculture was greatly affected by the weather, people would pray to teru teru bozu for clear skies.
The practice of hanging a teru teru bozu when you want good weather is a tradition that remains unchanged from the past to the present.
Raindrops are shaped like steamed buns.
Raindrops are said to be shaped like steamed buns.
While raindrops are often depicted as teardrops in illustrations, in reality they are said to have a flatter shape resembling a steamed bun.
Raindrops range from large to small, and large ones are said to look like a steamed bun that has been squashed.
The teardrop shape commonly shown actually represents a droplet falling from a faucet.
It might be interesting to observe the moment raindrops fall during a rainstorm.
In the American South, a sunshower is called “the devil beating his wife.”
In Japan, a sunshower is described as “a fox’s wedding,” but in the American South, they say “the devil is beating his wife.” It’s a slightly scary expression, but that’s actually what it’s called.
The rain of a sunshower is said to be the devil’s wife’s tears.
There’s also a theory that the devil does this out of anger at God for making such a beautiful day—but that has nothing to do with his wife… how unreasonable.
By the way, there are similar expressions elsewhere: in Korea it’s “a tiger’s wedding,” and in Greece it’s “a gorilla’s wedding.”
Rain drops during a sudden evening shower are larger than during other kinds of rain.
The raindrops in a summer evening downpour are larger than in other kinds of rain, and the sound of them striking the ground is louder.
A “yuudachi” refers to a sudden shower that falls heavily from afternoon to evening after the end of the rainy season.
The strong summer sun rapidly warms the ground, cumulonimbus clouds develop in the sky, and the rain begins.
The raindrops in a yuudachi are much larger than in ordinary rain, and it often turns into a heavy downpour.
Indeed, when a yuudachi comes, you can get wet even with an umbrella, and the rainfall can be more than an umbrella can handle.
People overseas hardly ever use umbrellas.
In Japan, when it rains, you use an umbrella, right? Most people probably check the weather forecast every morning and carry an umbrella or a folding umbrella if rain is expected.
But did you know that in many other countries, a lot of people don’t use umbrellas even when it rains? In fact, using an umbrella on a rainy day isn’t generally the norm.
There are various reasons for this—people find carrying an umbrella inconvenient, they feel a hood or a raincoat is enough, or they simply don’t mind getting wet.
The rainy-day scenes that are typical in Japan aren’t necessarily common overseas.
When swallows fly low, it means rain is coming.
In Japan, it’s long been said that when swallows fly low, it’s going to rain.
Apparently, this saying is accurate quite often.
The insects that swallows feed on have heavier wings in humid conditions and tend to fly lower.
As a result, swallows also fly lower when hunting, which is why people say that low-flying swallows signal rain.
People in the past carefully observed changes in nature and paid close attention to the weather.
So let’s keep in mind that if swallows are flying low, it might rain.