I lived in Japan over 50 years ago and your article brought back the taste of sour plums. I also make plum wine while I was there and carried the jar with me through 8 years of moving from place to place until the wine had matured. It was wonderful. I love Japan.
What a lovely enlightening piece. It's my first summer in Tokyo so needless to say, I've been very confused as to when tsuyu actually starts. People keep telling me: Oh, it starts mid-end of June, and I keep saying: But where's the rain?
I like ume a lot so I'm glad to learn they're particularly healthy in summer! Time to learn some ume recipes.
So interesting! I adore umeboshi, I'd love to be an umeboshi superheroine...much less dramatic than having to be bitten by a radioactive spider or being from outer space...
I notice (or at least I think I do) that 梅雨 has the kanji for "mother" as a radical in it, is that correct? Is there a reason for this? What do plums have to do with mothers?
梅 consists of two compounds, 木(“tree") and 毎 (“aways” or “crave”). So if you break it into compounds, it means something like a “tree you crave?” The compound 毎 is considered to be in the same group as 母, but I don’t know why it is part of the kanji.
Apparently, the kanji means something like "the tree everybody knows" because it's among the earliest that bloom and it is a symbol of spring and the new year.
I truly love Japanese, but must admit it drives me nuts bc it's so difficult.
I lived in Japan over 50 years ago and your article brought back the taste of sour plums. I also make plum wine while I was there and carried the jar with me through 8 years of moving from place to place until the wine had matured. It was wonderful. I love Japan.
What a lovely image, taking the jar with you on every move! It makes me want to try & make plum wine too, as I hope to stay in Japan for many years.
Give it a try. It was worth it.
I like the rain, too. Especially in gardens. Okayama’s Korakuen garden was gorgeous yesterday.
What a lovely enlightening piece. It's my first summer in Tokyo so needless to say, I've been very confused as to when tsuyu actually starts. People keep telling me: Oh, it starts mid-end of June, and I keep saying: But where's the rain?
I like ume a lot so I'm glad to learn they're particularly healthy in summer! Time to learn some ume recipes.
So interesting! I adore umeboshi, I'd love to be an umeboshi superheroine...much less dramatic than having to be bitten by a radioactive spider or being from outer space...
I notice (or at least I think I do) that 梅雨 has the kanji for "mother" as a radical in it, is that correct? Is there a reason for this? What do plums have to do with mothers?
Thank you so much!
梅 consists of two compounds, 木(“tree") and 毎 (“aways” or “crave”). So if you break it into compounds, it means something like a “tree you crave?” The compound 毎 is considered to be in the same group as 母, but I don’t know why it is part of the kanji.
Thank you so much, I must have misread the second radical. I tried to find out some more and found this from the Japanese Embassy: https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/doc/Teaching%20Tuesday/2017/20170131ume.pdf
Apparently, the kanji means something like "the tree everybody knows" because it's among the earliest that bloom and it is a symbol of spring and the new year.
I truly love Japanese, but must admit it drives me nuts bc it's so difficult.
Mold rain is more to the point but too horrid-sounding! When I had a saliva test for Covid I was shown a picture of an umeboshi!
Hahaha! I heard about it Did it work for you?
I think it helped a bit!
Mahalo for sharing your thoughts and such a wonderful photo of the spider. I'm gonna show my nieces the next time I see them
Worst part of rainy season - dodging the umbrellas spikes unaware people seem determined to rake across your eyes!