If I were to guess I would say the the second least enjoyable season here in Okinawa among Americans (summer coming in at the first) would have to be the rainy season. Usually starting around the April time frame rainy season is Mother Nature's way of saying that summer is on it's way.
What Is Rainy Season:
As I mentioned above rainy season usually kicks off in April and continues into June. During this time of the year it's common to experience rain (go figure) and a lot of overcast days. According to some travel websites that I scanned in the interest of "science" before beginning this post we can expect rain about 40% of the time during rainy season. Now, I'm not saying that I'm an authority or anything but I will say that it feels like more of 70% of the time. That's just me though.
These aren't your average "drip drip drop little April showers" either. When Mother Nature makes it rain during rainy season she's not kidding around. It's not uncommon for rainy days to include non-stop hours of rain which sometimes last for two or even three days at a time. Most times this can lead to incredibly inconvenient puddles waiting to make your new shoes all soggy or even flooding in some areas.
Why Rainy Season Is A Nuisance:
I don't know about you but I hate being wet and soggy. More than that I hate showing up to work after 30 minutes of getting ready to find myself looking like I put my clothes on before I stepped into the shower. Then man oh man there is nothing like stepping into an ankle deep puddle on your way into the first stop on your list of places to go for the day. Sound like rainy season is a nuisance? Well yes it can be. (More about how you can fight back later.)
One of the other reasons that rainy season can be tough for some, especially those new to the island, is because this is the season when the humidity starts setting in. You've probably heard that Okinawa is hot during the summer months which is fair enough to say but it's the humidity which is the real killer. As the rainy season presses on and the temperatures start to change the humidity starts to increase. This usually means that you start to feel sticky and grimy. This can add to the all around nasty of rainy season.
Fighting Back Against Precipitation:
Rainy season doesn't have to be a drag. In fact there are a few things you can do which will make rainy season much more of a pleasant or at very least a less soggy experience. The first thing you can do is get yourself a pair of rain boots and/or rain shoes. Not only are they are great way to prevent you from recreating the ice capades at the grocery store or on your way back down the hill after taking your dogs outside but they are also a great way to preserve shoes from becoming waterlogged. You can also get them for a great price out in town too! I paid about ¥2000 for mine two years ago and it's worth every penny.
Another very worth while purchase is a good rain coat. No I'm not talking about a wind breaker which is "water resistant". I mean a good ole' "I'm plastic I laugh at the sight of rain" rain coat. I spent a lot of time trying to find what I was looking for without any success until one day I was killing time at my local Makeman (a DIY and garden center) and found the rain suit section (insert heavenly chorus here). Now I know what you're thinking. . . "why do I need an entire rain suit"? Chances are you don't unless you're like us and spend time outdoors a lot and/or ride motorcycles BUT even if you never use the pants ¥3000 is a great price for a rain coat! These are good raincoats too! I know because I have had mine put to the test:
Last but not least is the umbrella. In my honest opinion the umbrella is the "oh sh*t it's raining and I am completely unprepared" option. Although it doesn't offer near the same amount of protection as a rain coat and will do absolutely nothing to protect those shoes of yours it will at least ensure that your head and potentially parts of your torso are covered. (And ladies let's be honest. . . everything else will dry but if your hair gets wet. . . it's game over.)
Umbrellas are incredibly inexpensive also. Even at their most expensive you might only find yourself paying something like ¥300 for a standard umbrella. If you've got a keep eye you might even be so lucky as to pay closer to ¥100 or even less. With a price like that I usually have one in the house and one in the car at all times so no matter where I go, or if it stats raining once I leave the house. . . I'm good.
Turn That Frown Upside Down:
When all is said and done rainy season isn't much to be gloomy about if you've taken the time to prepare yourself. As you can see above just a little bit of effort can make things a lot more bearable during this transitional season. So turn that frown upside down, pull on those rain boots and go splash around in the puddles!
Awesome! Thanks for the tip about the rain coats and boots!
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