How to Read “A rainbow in the morning means rain, a rainbow in the evening means clear weather”
Asa niji wa ame, yū niji wa hare
Meaning of “A rainbow in the morning means rain, a rainbow in the evening means clear weather”
This proverb expresses weather prediction wisdom. A rainbow seen in the morning signals that rain is coming. A rainbow seen in the evening indicates clear weather the next day.
Rainbows appear on the opposite side of the sun. Morning rainbows appear in the western sky. Evening rainbows appear in the eastern sky.
In Japan, weather moves from west to east. When you see a morning rainbow in the western sky, rain clouds are heading your way. When you see an evening rainbow in the eastern sky, rain clouds are moving away.
People use this saying when they want to know tomorrow’s weather. They also use it to judge if rain will come today. Modern weather forecasts are very accurate now.
But this proverb still appears in science education and weather discussions. It represents ancestral wisdom about predicting weather through natural observation.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb comes from weather observation wisdom developed over many years in Japanese farming villages. The exact first written record is unclear. But weather prediction was a life-or-death matter for farmers.
In times without scientific weather forecasts, people learned to read the sky. They watched cloud movements and rainbow appearances to predict the next day’s weather.
Rainbows form when sunlight reflects off raindrops. Seeing a rainbow means rain clouds exist in that direction. Weather in Japan changes from west to east due to westerly winds.
A rainbow in the eastern sky in the morning suggests rain clouds are approaching from the west. A rainbow in the western sky in the evening means rain clouds are moving east and leaving.
This natural observation wisdom passed from parent to child and teacher to student through oral tradition. People could predict weather through experience without scientific meteorology knowledge.
This saying was very practical for planning farm work.
Interesting Facts
Rainbows appear under specific conditions. The sun must be behind you and raindrops must be in front. Rainbows always appear opposite the sun.
The morning sun rises in the east, so morning rainbows appear in the west. The evening sun sets in the west, so evening rainbows appear in the east. This creates a clear positional relationship.
This physical law combines with Japan’s west-to-east weather movement pattern. Together they make this proverb quite accurate.
Japan Meteorological Agency statistics show that low pressure systems and fronts usually move from west to east near Japan. The proverb’s accuracy rate is actually quite high.
However, exceptions exist during typhoons or seasonal wind periods. The saying doesn’t always apply under unusual weather conditions.
Usage Examples
- A rainbow in the morning means rain, a rainbow in the evening means clear weather, so I should bring an umbrella today
- A rainbow appeared this evening. A rainbow in the morning means rain, a rainbow in the evening means clear weather, so tomorrow’s field trip should be fine
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down through generations because humans have lived facing nature throughout history. Without science and technology, people observed nature to survive. They developed the ability to read its patterns.
Our ancestors’ insight to see weather laws hidden behind the beautiful rainbow phenomenon was survival wisdom itself.
This saying shows the importance of seeing the essence behind surface beauty. Rainbows aren’t just beautiful phenomena. They’re also messengers announcing weather changes.
Humans have always tried to predict the invisible future from visible phenomena. This wisdom arose from a fundamental human desire. People wanted some security in an uncertain world. They wanted to prepare and avoid danger.
This proverb also contains the value of passing knowledge across generations. One person’s lifetime observations are limited. But accumulated experience from many generations has reliability far beyond individual experience.
By respecting ancestral wisdom and passing it to the next generation, humanity has achieved coexistence with nature.
When AI Hears This
Seeing a rainbow actually means indirectly measuring the sun’s position behind you. Rainbows only appear opposite the sun. Specifically, they appear where sunlight reflects off water droplets at a 42-degree angle from behind.
A morning rainbow means the sun is low in the eastern sky. The rainbow appears in the western sky. In other words, rain clouds are moving from west to east. You’re reverse-calculating this information from the visual signal of the rainbow.
This is a classic example of “information extraction through indirect observation” in information theory. Observers don’t look directly at the sun. They obtain sun position information through the rainbow as an intermediate medium. They further infer weather system movement from that.
An evening rainbow appears in the eastern sky. This indicates rain clouds have already passed and clear weather is approaching.
What’s interesting is that the rainbow phenomenon completely depends on the observer’s position. Even looking at the same rain cloud, rainbows appear or disappear depending on where you stand.
The observer instantly decodes the geometric relationship between their position, the sun, and rain clouds from one visual piece of information—the rainbow. This is extremely sophisticated spatial information processing that the human brain performs unconsciously.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of observation skills. We need to notice small changes around us. We tend to rely on convenient weather forecast apps.
But by actually looking up at the sky and sensing cloud movements and light changes, we can restore our connection with nature.
This saying also shows the value of understanding mechanisms behind surface phenomena. Don’t just stop at the emotion that rainbows are beautiful. Think about why the rainbow appeared there and what it means.
This attitude applies to all learning. Modern society overflows with information. We need to deeply understand that information’s meaning and develop the ability to predict the future.
We also shouldn’t forget the significance of learning ancestral wisdom. Even with advanced science and technology, wisdom born from years of experience still has much to teach us.
When you look up and find a rainbow, don’t just take a photo. Think about what it’s teaching you. Nature continues sending us important messages, now as in the past.
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