Tokyo’s Record Streak of Overcast Weather May End As “Weathering with You” Releases

As many of our readers already may know, Makoto Shinkai's "Weathering with You" will open in Japanese theaters on July 19th, 2019. The release of the film, about a high school freshman (Hodaka Morishima) who has left his home to move to Tokyo where he finally finds work and meets a bright and strongwilled girl called Hina who has the power to stop the rain and clear the sky, was probably timed to coincide with the end of the rainy season in Japan (usually mid to late July). However, the meteorological conditions in Tokyo are lining up in ways that Shinkai Makoto and his team could never have dreamed of.

20 days of wet weather and counting

According to TV Asahi, Tokyo has seen less than 3 hours of sun per day for the past 19 days, which is the longest streak on record since data collecting began in 1961. The seasonal rain front and humid air have been contributing to prolonged overcast weather in the Kanto area. In the first half of July, there was an average of only 5.6 hours of sun, which represents less than 10% of the yearly average. As of July 15th, 19 days have transpired with less than 3 hours of sun, and at the time of writing on July 16th, we can confirm that today will also be the same, bringing the total to 20 days.

Moreover, according to current forecasts, overcast weather will continue through the weekend, finally clearing up on next week.

Art imitating life or life imitating art?

In "Weathering with You," after Hodaka starts his job, the weather in Tokyo has been rainy day after day. This is when he meets Hina and discovers her astonishing abilities.

With sunshine expected to burst forth the first week of the film's release, the end of this record streak of rainy weather is a remarkable coincidence. As they anticipate (or celebrate) the end of an interminable streak of overcast weather, many members of the audience in Tokyo theaters will surely be particularly sensitive to the film's theme.

As you wait for your chance to see "Weathering with You" in a theater near you, here is the latest trailer, prefaced by a retrospective of Makoto Shinkai's films to date: