The saying April Showers Brings May Flowers is better known in the US where the Spring rains contribute to the thawing of the frozen ground. Here in Japan Spring unfurls gently, starting with plum buds magically appearing on the bare branches in February. It doesn't typically rain much in winter in Japan nor very early Spring.
This year we experienced quite a few false starts to Spring and there was a lot of confusion as to whether we were seeing plum blossoms or cherry blossoms, simply because the weather was uncharacteristically warm in March.
A better seasonal expression for us in Japan and one I've heard a lot of people using is "三寒四温” (Sankan Shion) which means Three Cold Days / Four Warm Days. According to the Weather News this phenomenon is caused by alternating low and high pressure weather systems and these patterns are common in Asia.
Were you fooled by the sudden changes in weather? I certainly was. I started packing my winter woolens away way too early. I pulled out my short sleeved t shirts only to find it cold again the next day.
For future reference we are having very chilly weather today - late in April, just a week until Golden Week begins next Friday. It's not cold enough for a scarf during the day but it might be nice in the evening if you have a walk or cycle home from work. We don't need gloves but I feel you could still get away with a wool beanie if you wanted to.
Date: April 21, 2022
Image: Plum Blossoms in Hamarikyu taken on a tour with Real Japanese Gardens