Rain season!

In Japan, between May and July depending on the part of the island, the rain season occurs. It is similar in Korea or Taiwan.The rain season is called 梅雨 (tsuyu), which translates into "plum rain". It is called so, because of it coinciding with the plum ripening period. The rainy season is caused by the collision of cold northerly and warm southerly air masses, which results in a relatively stable bad weather front over the Japanese archipelago for several weeks. Usually, the island of Okinawa is affected by the rain about a month earlier than the rest of Japan, while the island of Hokkaido is usually not affected at all. During this time, tourist activity is significantly lower than usual, which allows to see certain places at a more leisurely pace, however the whole trip might be heavily affected by the rainfall.

foreigner whose country is an inland place, this humidity is quite hard to handle. Taking showers during the day tends to help quite a bit.

One important thing is to let your room and closets get some air. Because of the increased humidity and rain, your room might get damp completely on its own. That's why if you manage to find a sunny day, you should open all your windows and closets, and let the warm, dry air do its magic.

Coming back to sightseeing, there are a couple of places that are profiting from the foggy and gloomy atmosphere. For example Mount Kyouya feels much more spiritual in the fog rather than blazing sun; or the hydrangeas in Hakone parks are much more plentiful during the rain! I think though, that the best escape is an open air hot spring, where you can relax and admire the clouds and foggy scenery while listening to the constant tapping of raindrops.

Worth knowing!:

- Kappas are presumably intelligent water spirits in Japanese mythology. They are monkey-like creatures with saucer-shaped heads, long noses, and a yellowish-green skin. Kappas are said to lure children to the water and pull them under, feeding on their blood. Their main weakness is that their heads are filled with water, and when this is spilled they lose their powers. In manga and anime, to call someone a "kappa" is sometimes used as insult.

- Ameonna is a person who always brings rain with them. Wether it's a trip or a picnic, the clouds always follow this person.

Live music!

On Wednesday, Aichi Shukutoku Daigaku Bekka Ryuugakusei Band (in short: ABE Band) gave a concert! Out of the Band members, two are currently working part-time at JPNAVI: Jang (played on drums) and me (that is Kate, on vocals). Other band members were: Jieun (keyboard), Jerry (guitar, vocals), Jack (cello) and Yuuji (bass guitar).

Everyone at JPNAVI came to see us preform, we were really happy!


The idea of having a concert came from Jang. Because Jerry was returning back to America not long after our graduation ceremony, we wanted to make some nice memories together. So when Jang said that there is a venue where we could play we all agreed immediately!

However, as much as we were eager to practice, it was quite hard to find a time where everyone could come to practice. We tried practicing without drums or piano or base, but then it wouldn't really go well; when we met together we did much better than when meeting in parts.

I say meeting, but truthfully we didn't have that much practice. We started rehearsals about 10 days before the actual concert, and we managed to have about 4 rehearsals in total.
We sang 8 songs, and one of them was composed by Jerry; it's called 何かくれた事 (Things I received)

The concert was extremely fun, and I think everyone enjoyed it as much as the band did!
Here's a video, just to show you how fun it was :

BIGBANG

(left to right: Seungri, Daesung, TOP, Taeyang, G-Dragon)

Formed in 2005 this 5 person male group from South Korea is quite popular in Japan along with other K-pop groups such as 2NE1, Brown Eyed Girls or Girls' Generation. They have recently (11th of May) released their second Japanese album (second place on the Oricon charts just 5 days after release), and are currently on tour in Japan.

Their first attempt at Japanese market was in 200 with the EP For the World. It didn't have much promotion, but still managed to get up to 16th place on the Oricon charts. Their big success though was the single Number 1 from their album of the same name. Afterwards, the group went on a hiatus, each of the members following their single paths; solo singles for Taeyang and G-Dragon, and drama parts for TOP (Iris).

Finally back in 2011 the group released their Tonight EP, which made it to the 10th place in the US iTunes charts, thus being the only non-English album in the top 100.

BigBang is mentioned as the most influential Korean band at the moment, setting trends in everything from sunglasses through clothes ending on minute accesories. In 2010, the group's Big Show concert was chosen by the South Korean Touristic Committee for their Visit Korea from 2010—2012 campaign, stating that they will "have a big economic impact on the country".

Blood types (血液型)

In the West people often refer to one's astrological sign to understand some character traits. In Japan such an indicator is one's blood type, ketsuekigata (血液型)! That is why it is common for people to ask for your blood type in Japan、and it is surprising for a Japanese person that someone does not know their blood type.

It is popular for famous people to include blood type information on their web pages, or for baseball players to have it included on collectors cards. Creators of manga and anime often include the information about the character's blood type when introducing the story, and in such way determine certain traits of their personality.

It is interesting, that only Korean and Japanese Facebook allows the blood type information in the user profile!


A type:
Most common trait about this type is perfectionist. A type people are also serious and can be overly sensitive, sometimes unable to relax. However they are very calm and trustworthy, also patient and very artistic.

B type:
This type is said to be very goal-oriented. Also sometimes extremely moody, but on the other hand they can be cheerful and lift the atmosphere in the room. All that said, they are unpredictable and sometimes wild.

AB type:
Sometimes called the 'split personality' blood type. Can be both outgoing and shy, unpredictable and calm. Not too fit to be a leader, but often called geniuses.

O type:
This type is said to the a trend-setter, and likes to be the centre of attention. Initiates a lot of things, but not always finished what was started. Tends to be agreeable and social, but on the other hand can be rude and jealous.

Compatibility:
A is most compatible with A and AB
B is most compatible with B and AB
AB is most compatible with AB, B, A and O
O is most compatible with O, and AB

Onsen (温泉)

Everyone likes to relax every now and then, and in Japan one of the most popular places to go for some R&R is an onsen.



Onsen (often marked as ♨ on maps) is a hot spring bath. Because Japan is a volcanic country, there's a lot of places where you can find a natural source of hot water, and people use it to enjoy themselves. There are lots of types of onsen including outdoor and indoor ones. A lot of the places tend to be in the countryside, but you can find some in popular tourist spots as well, and as a part of hotels or such。However, to be classified as an onsen, the bath needs to include at least one of the 19 signified chemical elements. Due to those elements, the bath water is believed to have healing qualities.

Before the Meiji period, all the baths were coeducational, but nowadays they are mostly separated by sex. In rural areas one might still find some of mixed baths.
It is customary to wash oneself thoroughly before actually entering the hot spring. The resort provides toiletries and towels(sometimes one has to pay for renting them though). Swimsuits are not allowed inside the bath, and sometimes wearing the towel inside the bath is also prohibited. That's why you can see people placing their folded towels on top of their heads!
There are a lot of onsen that ban people with tattoos. It's applied not only to men but also women, and no matter how small the tattoo is, one might not be let in.

Some of the oldest baths date back to the 8th Century AD, like Arima Onsen or Dogo Onsen.

One of the most famous hot springs is Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑) in Nagano prefecture where one can enjoy a bath with monkeys. Jigokudani means 'hell valley' and has been called so because of steam and boiling water that escapes through the frozen ground.

One of the most popular and recommended experiences is to visit an onsen ryoukan. One can enjoy an overnight trip, including a dinner and breakfast, thus bathing as many times as one wants. In such places one would usually get a yukata to wear, to ensure comfort and freedom of movement. Ykata is similar to a kimono, but much lighter and informal in a sense. In a ryoukan, you can use one for bathing, lounge wear and also sleep in it. If you have your meal in a dining hall, no one will look at you strangely if you show up in your yukata, as everyone just wants to relax and be comfortable! You can even walk around in it around the onsen resort! :)