Summer in Japan is quite different from summer in Sweden, but there are a few weeks in May June before the humidity arrives that have the emotional quality of Swedish summer when it is the most beautiful. Lately we have enjoyed warm days, a hint of dryness in the air, the evenings and mornings still with a touch of coolness, an air that is filled with sounds of nature, birds singing, frogs croaking, the breeze making the bamboo trees outside producing a soothing sound and the Hydrangea everywhere embellishing the world around us. (One day I want to do a blog post all about the beauty of Hydrangea.)
During these weeks it is still not to warm nor to rainy so outdoor play is an everyday activity and indoors it is so lovely to drop the socks and just walk around bare feet. If we go to the beach it is all but empty, the water is pleasant with not many jellyfish, with the sand in the evening sun being a treat to walk on.
Now all that is gone. The weather has suddenly changed and on the weather forecast all I can see is clouds of rain. The rainy season is upon us and the humidity went straight up the past week. Friday there were some gaps in the clouds though, and full of anticipation we went to Futamigaura, the beautiful rock formation with the white torii standing in the sea, to catch the setting sun of the summer solstice. I was not the only photographer there, quite the contrary. In the line of sight where the sun would be visible between the two rocks just before disappearing beyond the horizon, a hoard of cameras on tripods with accompanying photographers were waiting. And I believe we all had a little anticlimactic experience when only a glimmer of sun was visible before the clouds became too dense again.
Nonetheless it was a magic night and I will try now fully embrace the rainy season – welcome, you have been much anticipated.
Share this story: