Plus & Minus

Summer is in the process of making itself felt. "We are entering the time when all will turn against us" said Leto to his son in Frank Herbert's Dune. A little extreme perhaps but there is a lot to fear about the Japanese summer, even if you are used to it.

I was trying to think of some plus points to balance out the minus points but fear I have failed miserably. Any suggestions welcome.

Minus points top 3:

1) Humidity - especially in Nagoya which rivals Kyoto for air-borne moisture.

2) Insects - The war against mosquitos and cockroaches begins (though the mosquito problem here is nothing compared to Alaska I hear).

3) Air conditioning that could freeze hell - Walk out the door dressed for summer and find yourself catching a cold because you spent 5 minutes on a train.

Plus points top 3:

1) Cold beer - this is the season that Japanese beer is made for.

2) Summer festivals - many and varied, always good and free to attend.

3) Summer fashion - euphemistically speaking.

The last one is where my attempt to find goodness in the Japanese summer fall flat on it's face. I couldn't find anything else particularly good about the summer, save for that it is not winter. There are plenty more minus points I could add, but I don't want to portray myself as a negative moaner as well as a letch.