Shigure (a shower of rain in late autumn and early winter) (時雨)

Shigure refers to rain or snow which falls and stops temporarily mainly from autumn to winter. Under north-west seasonal winds, convective clouds emerging on Japan Sea continually came to the coast and shigure happens, and the clouds disappear and the sky breaks into sunshine again. As well as coasts of Japan Sea, in the areas of Japan Sea coastal climate and Pacific Ocean side climate such as Kyoto basin, Nagano Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture and so on, shigure comes with winds.

In Kanto region a temporal rain such as shigure is called a passing shower in all seasons. Also, shigure which changes to snow or fuka when in low temperature is called yuki-shigure in some regions.

It is also a kigo (season words) of winter.

[Original Japanese]