Rainy Season Almost Over in Kyoto

梅雨明け京都

Rainy season is almost officially over.

The six-week season of cool nights and mornings and muggy days is now in its final throes.

The sound of the cicadas is the main clue. They are singing their high summer song, and it is hot.

That means High Summer is upon us.

In Kyoto, late July until mid-September equals torrid daytime temperatures.

Cycling is brutal this time of year.

We tend to do only local runs - shopping, going out at night - until early autumn.

From that point on, when Kyoto weather is sweet and forgiving, we head into the hills on the bike.

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Kyoto Cycling Weather Hot and PM 2.5 Particles

京都ＰＭ２・５＋真夏日

Tiny particles known as PM 2.5 are filling the skies of western Japan now.

Most of the pollution is believed to be emanating from factories and automobiles in China.

We are wearing the mask when we cycle now, no matter awful it looks.

In addition, it is truly hot in Kyoto.

Today's high temperatures are predicted to hit 32 (89 F).


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Cycling in High Summer in Kyoto

京都の真夏と自転車

Cycling in Kyoto in high summer is a challenge.

The sun beats down from deep blue skies. High humidity and high temperatures - often hitting the high 30s (90s) by mid-afternoon - make for a hard day out.

The constant and ubiquitous thrum of the cicadas mock you for having gone out in the first place.

However, for those with a flexible schedule, CycleKyoto has a simple recommendation: ride very early - before 6 am - or conversely late at night.

Of the two, we prefer night riding.

Except for the very central part of downtown, traffic is light.

Night time temperatures dip to about 25 degrees (77 degrees Fahrenheit), and there is often a light breeze.

If you stay close to the river, or within the Imperial Palace, it is cooler still.

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Kyoto News Places to Keep Cool This Summer

京都猛暑の日はお出かけを夏の節電各地にクールスポット

As the Kansai area of Japan faces power shortages of up to 15% this summer, July and August are going to be hot.

Kyoto summers are always hot, but this summer the Japan Meteorological Agency is predicting it to be hotter than average in the coming months in western Japan.

Even as preparations begin to restart the Oi Nuclear Reactor, a mere 60 or so kilometers from Kyoto, citizens are being asked - pushed, berated, hectored, bullied - to reduce power use.

Kyoto City is now running a PR campaign to get people out of their houses, where they would use air conditioners, and into public facilities being touted as "Cool Spots."

The cool spots include museums, pools, and youth centers. Most are offering discounts during the peak of Kyoto's post-rainy season high summer.

Kyoto Cool Spots

Insho Domoto Museum
Kyoto International Manga Museum
Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art
Museum of Kyoto

There are other designated sites at pools at Nishi Kyogoku and Fushimi Minato Koen.

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