The rainy season and Japanese plum

In Japan, the rainy season starts from June, and it is the feature of the vivid season of Japan. Rain is always treated as a dark thing with sadness or anxiety as an expression, but in Japan this rainy season is called “Tsuyu”, and is sometimes known as an emotional atmosphere.

　In Yamagata Prefecture, there is a large river called Mogami River, which flows throughout whole area of Yamagata Prefecture and has been used as a living base for people since ancient times. There was a poem of Basho Matsuo, a famous Japanese poet.

"Collect the Samidare and accelerate the Mogami River"

It was sung the state of the Mogami River during the Samidare (tsuyu). there was an anecdote, actually, that he had used to describe this landscape as "cool" before he wrote this poem, but when he actually went down the river, he was afraid of its intensity and recast it as "accelerate". It was the story that often shows the duality of the kindness and severity of rain.

　In addition to the scenery, there are foods that are unique to that season as a feature of the Japanese season. There is a plum called “Ume” in Japan, and it is harvested between May and June and has long been popular as a feature of the rainy season. It is very rich in citric acid and widely used for cooking and desserts. The salted ones are called "Umeboshi" and are an essential part of traditional Japanese food. Umeboshi goes very well with rice, and a bento box with a grain of umeboshi on the center of white rice is also called "Hinomaru Bento" (Hinomaru means Japanese flag). Also, this blossom is a sign of the spring coming, and it is said that it is very auspicious along with pine and bamboo, and you can see that plum blossoms are loved by Japanese people. In fact, this plum fruit contains cyanide poison in immature state. However, the poison will be decomposed by ripening or soaking in salt or sake. Ume is added to sake to enjoy its gorgeous aroma. It's called "Umeshu" and it's a pleasure for me every year in the rainy season to make it. Contrary to its sweet and light taste, its very heavy scent is loved by men and women of all ages and is one of the leading sake in Japan. It is my commitment that the scent of the purchased plums is enhanced by raising them in a cool dark place for a few days to ripen them. It will be completed in about half a year. I'm looking forward to the Christmas party.

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　日本では６月中は雨季に入り、日本の鮮やかな季節を彩る風物詩となっています。雨はよく表現法として悲しみや不安といった暗い者として扱われますが、日本ではこの雨季を梅雨と呼び、時に情緒ある風情として親しまれています。

　山形県には最上川という大きな川があり、それは山形県全域を流れており、古くから人々の生活基盤をして利用されていました。日本の詩人として有名な松尾芭蕉の一句があります。

「五月雨を集めて早し最上川」

これは五月雨（梅雨）の最上川の様子を詠ったものです。実はこの詩を詠う前にこの風景を「涼しい」と表現していたのですが、実際に川を下ってみるとその激しさに恐れをなし、「早い」と詠い直したという逸話があります。雨の優しさと厳しさの二面性がよく現れたストーリーです。

　日本の季節を彩る風物詩には風景以外にはその季節ならではの食べ物があります。日本には梅という果物あり、5~6月中に収穫され古くから雨季の風物詩として親しまれています。クエン酸が非常に豊富で料理からデザートまで幅広く使われています。塩漬けされたものは「梅干し」と呼ばれ日本の伝統食になくてはならないものになっています。梅干しはご飯との相性が非常によく、白米の中心に梅干しを一粒乗せた弁当は「日の丸弁当」とも呼ばれています。またこの梅の花は春の訪れを知らせるサインであったり、松と竹に並び非常に縁起の良いものとされており、梅は日本人にとても愛されているのがわかります。実はこの梅の果実、青いままだと微量の青酸系毒が含まれています。しかし、熟したり、塩やお酒に漬けることでその毒は分解されていきます。その華やかな香りを楽しむために梅はお酒につけられます。私の毎年の雨季の楽しみでもあり、「梅酒」とよばれています。甘く軽い口当たりとは裏腹にとても重厚なその香りは老若男女に愛されており、日本を代表するお酒の一つでもあります。買った梅を数日冷暗所に起き追熟させることでさらにその香りを強くさせるのが私のこだわりです。完成はおよそ半年後。クリスマスパーティが楽しみです。