The Japanese word for thunder is tenrai and the word for lightning is kaminari. Check out a list of other related words in the section below.
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| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder てんらい | Tenrai | 天雷 | |
| Heavy thunder ばんらい | Banrai | 万雷 | |
| Distant thunder えんらい | Enrai | 遠雷 | |
| Lightning/thunderbolt かみなり | Kaminari | 雷 | |
| Thunderstorm らいう | Raiu | 雷雨 |
Interesting facts about thunder in Japan
Thunderstorms are common in Japan during the summer months. In August of 2018 one of the biggest thunderstorms on record hit Tokyo City. An astounding 1,246 lightning bolts were recorded in a 10 minute period within a 30 mile radius from Tokyo Station.
Watch some of the videos that Tokyo residents recorded here.