The beauty of Japanese rain chains

The beauty of Japanese rain chains

Posted by Yuki Momoyama on 15th May 2021

It is mid-May. The rainy season is about to start in Japan, and gorgeous hydrangeas and wisterias are everywhere. Beautiful rain chains, an unmistakable sight in Japan, collect water from the downspouts of homes, temples, and shrines and gently guide it to the ground.

Japanese rain chain in a garden

Japanese rain chains are functional and beautiful and a lovely way to prettify any home. The water drops make a sooting sound as they meander their way down the chain. They elegantly transform dull and gloomy wetness into something lovely.

Elegant Japanese rain chains

All your feels, in a poem

The Japanese have a special reverence for the spring rain. They call it Harusame. Here is timeless haiku by Kobayashi Issa (1763 – 1828).

Spring rain

A little girl teaches a cat

To dance

(Harusame ya - neko ni odori wo - oshieru ko)