July 8, 2010
Rain Man (and Woman)
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010 Fans of traditional Japanese monsters might be familiar with the Ame-onna, a creepy yokai “rain woman” who is said to be able to summon the watery elements at will. But in recent years, the term (or its masculine equivalent, ame-otoko) has come to refer to those unlucky individuals […]
By Metropolis
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010
Fans of traditional Japanese monsters might be familiar with the Ame-onna, a creepy yokai “rain woman” who is said to be able to summon the watery elements at will. But in recent years, the term (or its masculine equivalent, ame-otoko) has come to refer to those unlucky individuals who never get invited to the beach because it always seems to rain when they show up. And now that tsuyu season is in full swing, those benighted folks are getting more flack than ever. According to the annual Ame Project survey by online site Weather News, 39 percent of respondents said they’d been accused of being an ame-onna/ame-otoko, though only 33 percent said they considered themselves to be one. Sounds pretty rough, right? Well, not necessarily. When asked what their reactions would be if called a rainmaker, 36 percent said they would be upset, but a full 41 percent claimed they wouldn’t pay it any mind.
