Welcome to the Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. This week’s lesson will focus on the weather. Weather is something everyone can relate to, even Shonen Jump characters! So let’s shed some sunshine on these new words!

AME (あめ)

AME means “rain” in Japanese. Rain is the perfect way to have your plans canceled on short notice. It can also change the tides of battle! In World Trigger, Nasu Squad used rain to manipulate their opponents in the Rank Wars and keep both Tamakoma-2 and Suzunari-1 on their toes. Ultimately, Tamakoma-2 overcame them, but the rain definitely made the battle much more intense.

HARE (はれ)

HARE means “sunny” (and is pronounced haré ) in Japanese. A ray of sun at the end of a long Weekly Shonen Jump-style action-packed battle is always welcoming. When the birdcage fell in One Piece, the sun shone on the residents of Dressrosa as a sign that the battle had ended. Incidentally, the Straw Hat’s new ship is named the Thousand Sunny. The ship is like a ray of sunshine that will lead the Straw Hats to a bright future!

KUMO (くも)

KUMO means “cloud” in Japanese. Just like rain, clouds can be a real downer. But you can’t change the weather—that is, not unless you’re Sasuke from Naruto! He shot fire jutsu into the sky to change the atmosphere and create thunderclouds! Talk about a useful skill if your goal is to rain on someone’s parade, literally!

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