[ryuurui]

To understand the symbilism of rain you would have to know how closely the traditional Asian culture is connected with nature and its phenomena. I would say it influences the mentality of Asian people even in those messed up modern times, well at least let us hope that it does...

Japanese language has a gazillion expressions describing rain itself its intensity and forms, proving what serious impact it has on culture and daily life.

We have大雨 (ooame – heavy rain), 梅雨 (tsuyu) – rainy season around June and July, lasting more or less one month. First kanji in 梅雨 stands for ume – a Japanese plum, that ripens during the same period contributing to its name. Ume is linked to shift of seasons and it is used quite often as a motif in calligraphy or sumi-e.

There is 春雨 (harusame) of which first kanji reads haru and means the spring. Harusame depicts gentle rain that falls during spring.

夕立 (yuudachi) is a violent evening rain or cloudburst accompanied by thunders during summer time. 通り雨 (tooriame) literally “passing rain,” sudden downpours of water that dissipate very quickly. The opposite of it is 長雨 (nagaame), long lasting and persistent rain, 台風 (taifuu – a typhoon), or 豪雨 (gouu) – torrential rains able to paralyse large cities for days.

Some expressions relate to personality of people, such as 雨女 or 雨男 (respectively: ameonna and ameotoko) – a woman or a man that brings rain - i.e. unlucky or jinxed. Though the original meaning of 雨女 was a "goddess of rain".

Other phrases refer to the state of the world after the rain 雨降って地固める – (ame futte ji katameru). After the rainfall earth is hardening and settling down becoming more fertile. Lastly 雨上がり (ameagari) “after the rain” reflecting on the freshness and relief felt in the air immediately after the rain stops.

Once, I wrote a calligraphy for a Japanese couple and their newborn daughter. Her name is 雨音 (Amane), which means "the sound of rain".

The list goes on.