Obsession? with four seasons

[American Oyaji]

This is a topic I've heard many of us go off about whenever asked whether our home country has four seasons, or when told that Japan has four seasons.
This isn't exactly a Japanese thing.

I was talking to a couple of Korean sisters the other day. One still lived in Ohio, but the other had moved to Lousiana.

During the conversation, the older sister started talking about LA not having four seasons like Ohio and Korea do.

I think the four seasons discussion topic is less a comment on normalcy, as rather trying to find a common point of reference to weather patterns.
One of the basics when learning a new language is weather, but it IS true that weather patterns are different, even in countries that truly have four seasons...sometimes they only experience a murky two like Louisiana.

[Coligny]

Or just one like Saigon (32º risk of thunderstorm late afternoon... every day... all year long... for ever... always...)

Or 4 but with a soft and boring transition... like Paris... Cloudy and hot in summer, cloudy cold in the morning warm in the afternoon in autumn, cloudy and cold in winter, cloudy in spring...)

But must admit that seasonnal switch in Japan are fucking brutal... One day summer... the other one... autumn, like being runover by a semi truck...

[gaijinpunch]

Japan has 5 seasons. Don't forget the rainy season.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japan has 5 seasons. Don't forget the rainy season.

You mean the monsoon? Or does that sound too ethnic?

[American Oyaji]

Japan has 5 seasons. Don't forget the rainy season.

You mean the monsoon? Or does that sound too ethnic?

If the shoe fits, wear that mutha out!

[matsuki]

This is a topic I've heard many of us go off about whenever asked whether our home country has four seasons, or when told that Japan has four seasons.
This isn't exactly a Japanese thing.

The "Japanese thing" is the belief by some "We Japanese" that Japan is unique in having four seasons. (completely ignorant to other places with four seasons or places in Japan like Okinawa which don't experience four seasons)

That being said, looking at realty ads and such in the U.S., it's pretty common to list things like four seasons, mild winter, etc.

[American Oyaji]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

[matsuki]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

I've only ran into 2 Japaneeeze that have claimed it and I'm sure it's not as bad as it was in the past but every time they do those surveys here where they ask people what is unique about their country, often turns up as a top answer.

[IparryU]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

I've only ran into 2 Japaneeeze that have claimed it and I'm sure it's not as bad as it was in the past but every time they do those surveys here where they ask people what is unique about their country, often turns up as a top answer.

:this:

my ex-mom-in-law said that Tsuyu was a season and that Japan has a total of 5... making Japan unique blah blah blah...

[American Oyaji]

I dunno, Tsuyu really is a weird segue from one season to another...almost like its own season.

[matsuki]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

I've only ran into 2 Japaneeeze that have claimed it and I'm sure it's not as bad as it was in the past but every time they do those surveys here where they ask people what is unique about their country, often turns up as a top answer.

:this:

my ex-mom-in-law said that Tsuyu was a season and that Japan has a total of 5... making Japan unique blah blah blah...

Even if it were a season, most of the hivemind here seem focused on claiming only 4...though Japan isn't the only place that gets a rainy season.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

I've only ran into 2 Japaneeeze that have claimed it and I'm sure it's not as bad as it was in the past but every time they do those surveys here where they ask people what is unique about their country, often turns up as a top answer.

:this:

my ex-mom-in-law said that Tsuyu was a season and that Japan has a total of 5... making Japan unique blah blah blah...

Even if it were a season, most of the hivemind here seem focused on claiming only 4...though Japan isn't the only place that gets a rainy season.

I find the 4 seasons thing kind of funny because of lot of Japan doesn't even get 4 seasons. The US mid-Atlantic and New England areas get 4 seasons. Tokyo barely does and Western Japan, not so much.

[American Oyaji]

I spent all my time in Tohouku.....it's the same as PA and Ohio.

[gaijinpunch]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

I've only ran into 2 Japaneeeze that have claimed it and I'm sure it's not as bad as it was in the past but every time they do those surveys here where they ask people what is unique about their country, often turns up as a top answer.

When I have to tell Japanese what's unique in Japan I always go for the ass backwards dental and medicale system. 4 trips for a teeth cleaning... no malpractice... plcebo, etc. But hey, if you can self-diagnose or just need a prescription, it works great.

almost like its own season.

Tsuyu is it's own season. I was promptly correct my first "summer" here in June when I mistakenly said 'natsu'. I inspired shame in myself and the entire prefecture had to apologize on my behalf.

[IparryU]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

I've only ran into 2 Japaneeeze that have claimed it and I'm sure it's not as bad as it was in the past but every time they do those surveys here where they ask people what is unique about their country, often turns up as a top answer.

When I have to tell Japanese what's unique in Japan I always go for the ass backwards dental and medicale system. 4 trips for a teeth cleaning... no malpractice... plcebo, etc. But hey, if you can self-diagnose or just need a prescription, it works great.

almost like its own season.

Tsuyu is it's own season. I was promptly correct my first "summer" here in June when I mistakenly said 'natsu'. I inspired shame in myself and the entire prefecture had to apologize on my behalf.

shame on you! damn gaijin! you should have known better

[matsuki]

I've never run across that mentality. Only heard it discussed on FG.

I've only ran into 2 Japaneeeze that have claimed it and I'm sure it's not as bad as it was in the past but every time they do those surveys here where they ask people what is unique about their country, often turns up as a top answer.

When I have to tell Japanese what's unique in Japan I always go for the ass backwards dental and medicale system. 4 trips for a teeth cleaning... no malpractice... plcebo, etc. But hey, if you can self-diagnose or just need a prescription, it works great.

How about taking "the customer is god" literally? Oh the stories I've heard..........

[J.A.F.O]

This is a topic I've heard many of us go off about whenever asked whether our home country has four seasons, or when told that Japan has four seasons.
This isn't exactly a Japanese thing.

The "Japanese thing" is the belief by some "We Japanese" that Japan is unique in having four seasons. (completely ignorant to other places with four seasons or places in Japan like Okinawa which don't experience four seasons)

That being said, looking at realty ads and such in the U.S., it's pretty common to list things like four seasons, mild winter, etc.

Okinawa has four seasons.

4seasons.png

Actually I'm getting kinda hungry.

Seriously though okinawa's two seasons are more like 9 months of humid hell and three months of normalcy. It gets to the point where one prays to whatever god they believe in for a typhoon just to cool things off for a day or two. Even the atheists here start taking up religion as a hobby just so they have someone to complain to... Because the locals just laugh.