Of a Thousand Rainy Days 

When people say that Japan has a rainy season, it's more about the earth offsetting the oppressive heat from the previous day. I love the rain; whether it's heavy or light, it's always the best part of the day. It can feel like the melodies of soft songs from the 1970s or the heated synths from the 1980s. I love how clean it makes everything, and because of the lack of trash on the ground, the fresh smell lingers longer than I ever thought possible.

In the morning, when it rains, children walking across the bridge waddle with umbrellas twice their size. It's nerve-racking to dance around plastic shells up to your waist while trying to get to the train station. The streets can easily flood; I've seen people in flip-flops and heels trudging through water the size of a small pond. It becomes a test of how much you care about keeping your shoes dry versus running late. 

Yes, the weather can be gloomy, but I feel like it's more relaxing that way. Unlike the sunny days of yesterday, there is no guilt about not making a good day out of it. There is no agitation from the heat that scares you when you forget your sunscreen. Everything is a little bit muted enough that you can just stop and feel the rain.