Here are five ways that the Japanese have traditionally survived the miserably hot & humid summer months. Some actually work, and some rely on powers of imagination that this foreigner can only aspire to.
1
Goldfish
Yeah, goldfish languidly waving their fins in their cool, watery world supposedly have the power to cool you off, just by watching them. Events like Art Aquarium…
and there are goldfish festivals all over Japan where you can catch your own
with a plastic bucket and a notoriously fickle paper net
2
Listen to ghost stories
Ghost stories are supposed to literally “send a chill up your spine” so tales of ghosts and hauntings are traditionally told (and painted, here by Kyōsai) in the summertime
3
Stock up on wind chimes
In summertime, you can buy pretty little bells (called furin) that have paper wings on their clappers, so they give you a musical reminder to appreciate even the most miniscule breeze
3
Put away clothes that aren’t blue, green or purple
Wearing cool colors is supposed to put you in a cool frame of mind (although the traditional summer outfit of unlined cotton kimono and geta worn without socks helps too)
And no summer outfit is complete without the go-to summertime fan called an uchiwa, which gets tucked into the back of your obi and doesn’t even have to be unfolded to deliver high-volume cooling
4
Surround yourself with mosquito punks
Mosquitos are one of the less-cherished insects of summer, and unlike their screeching cicada cousins, their telltale whines are seldom celebrated with the same affection in haiku. These traditional mosquito punk holders are as much a symbol of summertime as goldfish (they’re only sold and used during the summer months) and if they don’t actually diminish the heat, they at least make it more bearable
5
Catch your own noodles
Naturally, there are foods which can only be enjoyed in the hot and steamy Japanese summer, including nagashi sōmen (cold noodles dipped in a chilled savory sauce that you have to catch before you slurp)…
and kakigori, the snowiest shave ice you’ll ever eat, topped with syrup in traditional Japanese flavors (like green tea and melon), plus sweet red azuki beans or condensed milk
And last, but certainly not least, chilled cucumbers on a stick (which are also good for a few bawdy jokes to take your mind off the climbing mercury)
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