From the fleeting cherry blossoms that announce the arrival of Spring to the 梅雨 (tsuyu) rains that appear like clockwork at the beginning of summer, the seasons in Japan are framed by nature’s changing moods. Summer is pervaded by a relentless torpid heat. Sometimes, though, a summer breeze – or 薫風 (kunpū) – appears and for a moment one is caressed and cooled.