June’s passing in a blur. It’s almost July! The weather has gone from a pleasant spring, to a muggy and humid rainy season in full-swing. Today’s weather was extremely humid, and though there was no rain during any of my commute, the gusty winds made for an all-round unpleasant experience!

I should add that I have finally given in and started my air conditioning system. The ice-cool breeze is very refreshing; outside it’s 30°C and around 90% humidity…

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there from Asakusa-bashi, as I fancied a walk by the river.

The contrast of the hatchings on the wall with the round wave-like patterns on the ground, caught my attention. Through my polarised sunglasses, the scene was similar to that above - devoid of any colour. 

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as long as weather forecasts dare… erm, forecast. The rain’s fine, really. I am from the UK, after all. I lived in Manchester for 7 years, which is famous for its near-constant rain. It’s the elevated temperatures and humidity that are the killer in Japan during tsuyu, the rainy season.

You wake up, sticky. You shower. Within 5 minutes of leaving an air-conditioned room, you want a shower. You arrive at work, feeling as if you’ve jogged the entire way wearing a polyester shell suit. You go through the entire day wishing you were in a desert, or some kind of arid landscape. Occasionally you think back 6 months, when you were wearing moisturiser due to the severe dryness, a scarf, a duffel coat, and shivering in the street. Rushing into the relative warmth of the trains with their heated seats. How on earth can this be the same place?