Hi, there. Today, I’m going to introduce some traditional ways of surviving hot summer.

Currently, we can view many 風鈴 (Furin) in Dazaifu Tenmangu which is one of the most famous shrines in Fukuoka.

Furin is a windchime that uses a small bell made of glass or metal. We have a custom of hanging it under the eave in summer. When wind blows, it makes a beautiful and comforting sound which helps us feel cooler in hot summer.

Imagine what happens when wind blows all those Furin in Dazaifu. With numerous Furin ringing at the same time, we feel even cooler than when just one Furin does its job.

In Japan, we have other natural cooling traditions.

One such method is 打ち水 (Uchimizu) which is to sprinkle water in front of a house. This not only cools the pavement and air around the house but also keeps the dust down.

Lastly, let me introduce 緑のカーテン(Midori no Kaaten) which means a green curtain. This is a natural curtain made of growing creepers by a window. It shades the walls and windows of buildings and lowers the room temperature. Its green color is also soothing to our eyes and we can feel fresh air coming through the green curtain.

We have been making every effort to cope with hot summer since long before air conditioning was invented. 

What are some of the traditional methods of keeping cool or warm where you come from?