The Silence of Rain

It seems I have arrived in Japan during the rainy season, which marks the transition from Spring to Summer and can last through mid-July. The Japanese word for rainy season is tsuyu, literally “plum rain” (梅雨), as it coincides with the season of plums ripening in Japan

Thinking of friends enjoying Barton Springs and walks along the trail in the sunny Austin weather back home, here in Kyoto rain can stretch on for days, even weeks. You come to more fully appreciate the sunny days with longing and appreciation. It may explain the indescribable beauty of the Japanese Maples, hydrangeas and colorful Zen Gardens all over Kyoto.

I have always struggled a bit with being with rain. As such an active, outdoor person, rain always forces me into a space of solitude and inward focus that isn’t always comfortable, but it is where most of the growth and creativity takes place. I actually discovered an appreciation for solitude these last couple of years at home and found a deep inner reservoir from which to write and hear my own authentic voice. Two or three days of rain is one thing, however, weeks is quite something else.

I have reflected on whether these long stretches of silence and solitude contribute to the Japanese way of being, their quiet and reserved nature, their peaceful acceptance to whatever is with a smile, their mindful detail in their arts, their expression of music, their writing and gardening. These are all attributes that drew me here and I hope to more deeply cultivate within myself.

I am discovering that Kyoto is a spiritual place, a rich cultural and artistic city. A number of Western artists, writers, painters and photographers have discovered Kyoto over the years and adopted it as their creative safe haven. There are over 200 museums in Kyoto and a long list of theaters. There would too many artists and artisans and culinary artists working out of their homes to count. In a way, it is almost as if everyone is serving up what they do as their art.

Something drew me to Kyoto and I am looking forward to allowing that unfolding and discovering to take place. For now, I will sit in my peaceful, Japanese home with some tea and listen to the rain.