It's summertime and the

It's summertime and the sewers are stinky.

Smelly sewers are one of the hallmarks of summer in Tokyo. I don't really notice them at any other time of year, but from tsuuyu (the rainy season) until autumn, I catch a noseful of noisome bouquet at almost every corner.

Some drains are worse than others. In past summers, I've found myself crossing streets to avoid particularly foul areas. The fetid stink has only begun to surface here in our new neighborhood, so I haven't yet learned the bad patches. But within weeks, I'll be crossing the streets as needed.