Tsuyu - The Rainy Season in Japan

The wet season called "Tsuyu" comes around early summer, it brings damp weather and many rainy days. Keep yourself updated with the local weather forecast as the beginning and the end of the Tsuyu season vary depending on the region.

When will the rainy season begin in Japan?

In Tokyo, the Tsuyu season usually begins around 10 of June and ends around 20 of July. For the northern region of Japan, it comes a bit later and begins in late June and ends in late July. Thankfully, no Tsuyu comes to the Hokkaido region. In Okinawa, located in far southernmost of Japan, the Tsuyu season begins in early May and ends in early June.

Tsuyu season is the "worst" and "best" time for a trip
If you a tourist who wants to enjoy a trip under the sun, the rainy season is not the best time to travel around Japan. On the other hand, those who dislike crowds and don't care about rain or shine, the Tsuyu season might be the best time for a trip. During the Tsuyu season, there are not many visitors at touristy spots, allows people to do some sightseeing in a peaceful atmosphere.

Watch out for sudden heavy rain

Though we have many rainy days during the Tsuyu season, it doesn't mean it heavily rains continuously, and we also have cloudy and sunny days on and off. Recently, it tends to suddenly rain so heavily in Japan, for which you should be prepared.during not only the rainy season but also in summer. To find how to cope with the sudden heavy rain, see this article - Watch out for the torrential rain - Guerrilla-gohu and Oh-ame

What you should be more careful during the Tsuyu season - Food poisoning

Keep Sterilization in mind when you make Bento lunch box.

The slightly warm, wet weather in the Tsuyu season is very comfortable for germs and molds. Sterilization is much more important during this season, and care should be taken when making a Bento lunch box, with preparation such as;

Clean your hands and use clean kitchen wares.

Wash and rinse your hands well. Also, make sure that the cutting board (Manaita ｍまな板） is clean.

Use only cooked food

Keep-refrigerated food, such as ham, should also be cooked. No salad should be included in the Bento box in the rainy season.

Avoid wetness inside of the Bento box

Don’t close the lid of the Bent box while the contained food is still hot, as it leads to wetness causing spoilage. 

Use food divider to separate each food to prevent spoilage

Another thing you can do to cope with food poisoning is to put an antibacterial film in the Bento box, that is called  “弁当箱 抗菌シートBento Bako Koukin Shiito” and young Japanese mothers often use it for their kid’s bento.

In any case, the Bento box should be kept in a cool place as possible as you can. It is also better to eat as earlier as possible.

In case you get diarrhea from food poisoning

It is not good to take medicine to relieve the pain as it may stop bowel movement. What you should do as soon as possible is to get rid of the toxins from your stomach by defecating. However, there will be no choice but to rely on medicine in an emergency if you are in a place with no toilet facilities.

The antidiarrheal agent is called in Japanese "Geridome-no Kusuri" (下痢止めの薬), which you can buy at drug stores.