Rain, Rain, Go Away: Celebrating Japan’s Rainy Season with My June Collage Kit

June holds a very special place in my heart, and it was the inspiration behind one of my favorite projects yet. If you received or peeked into my June collage kit, you already know we dove headfirst into a uniquely Japanese seasonal transition: the rainy season, known locally as tsuyu. The theme for June was appropriately titled “Rain, Rain, Go Away.”

Capturing the Magic of Japan's Rainy Season

Before the scorching heat of summer officially takes over Japan, we experience weeks of steady, misty rain. While it can feel a bit gloomy to some, there is a quiet, poetic beauty to these days if you know where to look. It’s a time of lush green foliage, misty mornings, and—best of all—the breathtaking bloom of hydrangeas (ajisai).

Hydrangeas seem to thrive in the damp June air, painting temples, gardens, and neighborhood streets in vibrant shades of blue, purple, pink, and soft white. Because they are the ultimate symbol of this time of year, I knew they had to take center stage in the kit.

Whether you used them for snail mail, junk journaling, or memory-keeping, these pieces were designed to make the rainy days feel a little more magical.

Journaling Inspiration

To give you a couple of Ideas on how to style these pieces, here I’m attaching a picture of how I used the items on my journaling pages for inspiration purposes. I love layering the vellum pieces over patterned backgrounds to create depth, and pairing the hydrangea florals with handwritten notes about the weather.

A Touch of Childhood Crafting: Teru Teru Bozu

In the letter included with the June kit, I shared a fun, traditional Japanese home activity to chase away the grey skies: making Teru Teru Bozu! Teru Teru Bozu (which translates literally to "shine shine monk") are little traditional handmade dolls crafted from white tissue paper or cloth and string. Children in Japan hang them by their windows with a simple wish: "Please let tomorrow be sunny!"

It’s a lighthearted, cozy craft that connects us to Japanese seasonal traditions and always brings a smile to your face, no matter how heavy the rain falls outside.

As we pack away our umbrellas and step fully into the warmth of mid-summer, I hope the June kit brought a little bit of rainy-season peace and creativity into your world.

Thank you, as always, for journaling and creating right along with me.