Hi June.
Thanks for your kind comments. The “stream†is somewhat contemporary in style due to it being made from three sections of plastic gutter. We plan to replace this with a more natural looking stream next year.
Thanks for your comments also Andrea.
Glad you like the website.
Yes Don, language can be confusing, no more so than true English (were, we’re, wear, ware and where). There are many words for rain in Japanese, each differing according to intensity, duration, and season. According to one theory, phenomena that play an important role in any given society and culture are often subdivided into various types and are described using a wide variety of terms. Other examples are the rich vocabulary of the Inuit people for snow and the varied Arab terminologies for camels.
Just a few examples of Japanese words for rain are:
BY INTENSITY
Ooame (big, rain) When the rain is so heavy that flooding and other damage may result.
By SEASON
Harusame (spring, rain) Gently falling, fine rain during the warm days of spring.
BY DURATION
Naga-ame (long-rain) Such as that of the early summer ( tsuyu ) and autumn seasons, that falls continuously for days on end.
Here in Lancashire, England we also have many words for different types of rain although many are not suitable for inclusion on this forum!
Just out of interest, according to a survey conducted in 2003, Japanese own an average of 7 umbrellas per person and annual demand for umbrellas was 115 million.
Regards to everyone - Vic