What is Water of the Sky: A Dictionary of 2,000 Japanese Rain Words by Miya Ando?

Updated

Water of the Sky: A Dictionary of 2,000 Japanese Rain Words is a bilingual visual dictionary by artist Miya Ando, published by The MIT Press. It collects 2,000 Japanese words for rain with approximate English equivalents, accompanied by 100 indigo drawings. The book is for readers interested in Japanese language, art, and the cultural vocabulary of weather; it is a reference and art object rather than a conventional language textbook.

What the book contains

  • 2,000 Japanese rain words with English interpretations, ranging from the meteorological to the mystical.
  • 100 drawings in indigo by Miya Ando, presented as evocations of each rain's quality rather than literal illustrations.
  • A full index of all 2,000 words and their approximate English equivalents, alphabetized using a hybrid Japanese-English rubric.
  • A foreword by Hollis Goodall, with Joan Halifax also credited on the project.

The word list spans a wide register. Examples given in the publisher's description include:

Japanese term Meaning given
mukaame very fine rain that falls in spring
bunryūu rain that splits a dragon's body in half
kisame raindrops that fall off the leaves and branches of trees
takuu blessed rain that quenches all things in the universe

Publication details

  • Publisher: The MIT Press
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Pages: 280 pp.
  • Dimensions: 6 x 8 in
  • Illustrations: 100 color illus.
  • Publication date: November 4, 2025
  • Second printing: available April 2026

Awards and recognition

  • 2026 First Horizon Award, Eric Hoffer Award
  • 2026 Eric Hoffer Book Award Winner: Art Category
  • 2025 Foreword INDIES Awards Winner, Art (Adult Nonfiction) category

Who it is for

The book suits readers who want to browse the range of Japanese rain vocabulary as a cultural and aesthetic experience, and those interested in Miya Ando's practice as an artist. Because the English renderings are described as approximate and the alphabetization is a hybrid Japanese-English system, it works best as a contemplative reference and visual object rather than a tool for formal language study.