Summer Collection
夏コレクション
Summer in Japan begins with the warm, humid rainy season of tsuyu that starts in May in the southern regions, travelling across the archipelago towards Tohoku until it ends in July. Once tsuyu comes to an end, the hottest months of the year arrive along with seasonal outdoor events to make the most of the clear skies, and cooling activities to handle the heat.
Popular summertime events and activities include regional festivals, lined with outdoor food and games stalls with participatory performances of Bon Odori (a dance with a history of over 500 years to honour ancestors), large-scale firework displays held by the water with attendees wearing yukata (casual summer kimono) and jinbei (an outfit of a top resembling a kimono coordinated with a pair of shorts). The activities of the season are accompanied by cooling foods, such as kakigori (a shaved ice dessert with flavoured sugar syrup) and watermelon, which are savoured while sitting on the engawa (an indoor/outdoor space at the side of the house similar to a sun porch).
Explore the Summer Collection, featuring hand-printed bags from Kyoto Prefecture by Society of Local Arts, the cooling sounds of the Brass Wind Chimes that are hand-cast in Takaoka City, and aromatic coil-shaped incense to repel mosquitos.