How to Read “If it doesn’t rain in the rainy season, it will rain during the midsummer days”
Tsuyu ni furanu to doyō ni furu
Meaning of “If it doesn’t rain in the rainy season, it will rain during the midsummer days”
This proverb means that if you miss the right time to do something, you’ll face a more difficult situation later.
Everything has an optimal timing. When you act at the right moment, things go smoothly. You get great results with less effort.
But if you miss that opportunity, trying to do the same thing later becomes much harder. You might need several times more effort. Or you might not get the results you wanted at all.
People use this proverb as a warning to those who keep putting things off. It also describes situations where someone is panicking after missing their chance.
Today, this lesson applies to many situations. Studying, preparing for work, taking care of your health, fixing relationships. The message is clear: “Put off what you should do today, and tomorrow will be much harder.”
This proverb teaches us the importance of choosing the right time to act.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, the structure of the phrase itself offers interesting insights.
The expression contrasts two seasons: “tsuyu” and “doyō.” Tsuyu is the rainy season from June to July. This rain blesses crops and helps them grow.
Doyō refers to about 18 days before the start of autumn. The summer doyō period, famous for “doyō no ushi no hi,” falls in late July to early August. This is the hottest time of year.
This proverb likely came from farming experience. When the rainy season doesn’t bring enough rain, crops can’t grow properly.
If the rainy season ends dry, heavy rains often come during the intense summer heat. But rain during the doyō period comes too late for crops. Instead of helping, it becomes a nuisance that interferes with harvest.
From observing this weather pattern, people drew a life lesson. “When necessary things don’t happen at the right time, you face harder situations later.”
This is a perfect example of Japanese proverbs. They use natural phenomena to teach principles about human behavior.
Usage Examples
- If you don’t study now, “if it doesn’t rain in the rainy season, it will rain during the midsummer days”—you’ll be pulling all-nighters before exams
- We neglected equipment inspections, and “if it doesn’t rain in the rainy season, it will rain during the midsummer days”—it broke down during our busiest season and caused huge losses
Universal Wisdom
“If it doesn’t rain in the rainy season, it will rain during the midsummer days” contains a deep truth about time’s irreversibility.
Humans have a curious nature. We try to avoid small inconveniences and efforts right in front of us. If we postpone today’s trouble to tomorrow, today becomes easier.
But our ancestors understood something important. Problems don’t disappear. They grow larger with time.
This proverb has been passed down because it touches on a fundamental human weakness. Everyone has thought “I’ll do it later.” And everyone has paid the price for that thought.
If rain that should fall at the right time doesn’t fall, it must fall all at once later. Nature’s laws don’t wait for human convenience.
What’s interesting is that this proverb goes beyond simple warning. It shows our position within the flow of time.
We cannot control time. All we can do is take appropriate action at appropriate moments along time’s flow. Procrastination disrupts our harmony with time.
This wisdom came from people who lived in farming societies, in rhythm with nature. They held deep respect for time. That truth still speaks to us today, unchanged.
When AI Hears This
The human brain strongly remembers only cases where “a year with little rain in the rainy season” overlapped with “heavy rain during the following doyō period.” This is called confirmation bias.
We unconsciously collect only examples that match the rules we believe in.
In reality, some years have little rain in both the rainy season and doyō. But these years remain unmemorable as “years when nothing happened.”
Some years have plenty of rain in both periods. But these contradict the proverb, so the impression fades. For example, out of 100 years, 25 might have light rainy seasons and heavy doyō, while 25 have light rain in both periods.
Yet people remember only the first 25 times, thinking “See, I knew it.”
Another phenomenon called availability heuristic also works here. We mistakenly think events we can easily recall happen more frequently.
Lack of rain in the rainy season affects farming, so it’s remembered as a worry. Rain during the following doyō is strongly imprinted with the relief of “it finally came.”
Memories with emotion are easier to retrieve. This combination feels like it happens more often than it actually does.
Statistical analysis of weather data would probably find no clear negative correlation between rainy season and doyō rainfall. Yet this proverb survives because human memory systems prioritize “stories.”
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us who live in modern times about the preciousness of “now.”
Modern society has become convenient. Many things seem manageable even if we do them later. But truly important things still have appropriate timing.
Repairing relationships, learning skills, maintaining health, spending time with children. These cannot be done “all at once later.”
If something feels a bit troublesome to you right now, it might actually be “rain in the rainy season.” If you handle it properly now, it becomes a blessing that bears fruit.
But if you postpone it, it becomes “rain during the midsummer days” that will cause you suffering.
What matters isn’t aiming for perfection. It’s taking action within your capacity at the right time. Even a small step makes a big difference when taken at the right moment.
This proverb doesn’t exist to make you anxious. Rather, it helps you recognize the value of this very moment. It gives you courage to act calmly yet steadily.
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