How to talk about change in Japanese — one forecast at a time

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How to talk about change in Japanese — one forecast at a time

As humidity rises in the rainy season, it’s a good idea to get some moisture absorbers and place them around the home. | GETTY IMAGES

By Yuko Tamura
Contributing writer

May 30, 2025

As we head into June, 天気 (tenki, weather) will be an increasingly frequent topic for small talk — especially during 梅雨 (tsuyu, rainy season). This period of 雨 (ame, rain) and 湿気 (shikke, humidity) usually continues for a month or so until mid-July.

梅雨 also means it’s time for 衣替え (koromogae), the term used to refer to a seasonal change of clothes that sees us put the sweaters away and bring out the T-shirts.

学校の制服などの衣替えは、6月に冬服から夏服へ、10月にまた冬服へ切り替えるのが一般的です (Gakkō no seifuku nado no koromogae wa, rokugatsu ni fuyufuku kara natsufuku e, jūgatsu ni mata fuyufuku e kirikaeru noga ippan-teki desu, It’s common for schools to switch their uniforms from winter to summer versions in June, and switch back to winter uniforms in October).