A slightly controversial answer, but my favorite type of weather is cold weather! I enjoy going for walks when it rains or snows. I find it to be very tranquil and relaxing, perfect for thinking or for getting rid of stress. While I like spring and autumn, I don’t do well in hot weather at all. I love winter, although summer is a different story!
The weather in Tokyo varies quite drastically, which is a big difference from my home country of Ireland. Tokyo summers are very hot, and it has cold winters, but Ireland has rather consistent weather. Summers in Ireland are a little hotter, and winter is a little colder, but overall there is little change. Like Tokyo, it may snow in the winter or early spring, but this is not a guaranteed event every year. If you enjoy snow, I highly recommend you visit the snow festival that is held in Hokkaido every February. People make many sculptures out of snow and it is a highly enjoyable event for the whole family.
Summer in Japan is incredibly hot for me, and I am usually very uncomfortable unless I’m very close to a fan or some air-conditioning! While it is enjoyable to a point, I cannot stand to be under the sweltering sun for too long. However, I do use this as an excuse to eat ice-cream whenever I want!
While there is no major difference between the seasons in Ireland, the same cannot be said for the day-to-day weather. A famous expression used for visitors is “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes!” This often confuses guests to Ireland, but what it simply means is that the weather is constantly changing and unreliable, that if it’s raining it may stop soon. If it’s cold, it may get warm soon. If it’s sunny, it may rain soon. It’s incredibly unpredictable!
One huge difference between the weather in Ireland and Japan is that the weather can be incredibly different in different areas of Japan. Hokkaido is nice and cool, Okinawa is rather hot and Kyoto experiences changes very well suited to the seasons. Ireland, however, generally has the same weather throughout the entire country. Some areas may have more rain than others, and some may have more sunny days but no major changes.
Weather is always a topic of conversation in Ireland, as people will always ask, “How’s the weather?” when talking to someone on the phone. This behavior is usually seen as strange but it is actually very common among Irish people. It has become a sort of greeting for people who you know are either abroad or live on the other side of Ireland. If you ever hear an Irish person ask you about the weather, they are genuinely interested, even if it seems like a random topic!
As I mentioned earlier, I thoroughly enjoy colder weather such as rain and snow. I enjoy spring and autumn but summer is not for me! I grew up in a much colder climate but maybe I’ll adjust in the future. What kind of weather do you like? Is the weather here in Tokyo colder or hotter than your hometown? I believe weather can be fascinating and really make people think!
Fergal
Vocabulary
tranquil (adj.) ? calm
drastically (adv.) ? extremely; to a large degree
can’t stand (idiom) ? used to explain things/actions that you hate
sweltering (adj.) ? uncomfortably hot
unreliable (adj.) ? not able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed or promised
unpredictable (adj.) ? not capable of being known before happening or being done
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