"Natsu wa kenkona kokoro to kyojinna karada wo tsukuru tame ni aru"

夏は健康な心と強靭な体を作るためにある
"Summers are for creating healthy minds and bodies full of strength"

I read this in an article in The Japan Times. And here I quote part of the article.

Japanese summers are tinged with a shadow of darkness and from a very early age we learn that natsuyasumi (summer vacation time) is not simply about fun and games in the sun.

As we grow older however, we come to understand the logic behind such arrangements. After all, once a Japanese child becomes an shakaijin (a member of adult society) it's nearly impossible to wrangle more than a few days off for summer vacation and those days are more often or not designated for family duties or funerals.

The rest of the summer is devoted to retaining one's sanity in the all-encompassing heat while dealing with a workload that somehow seems to increase, even as the nation is slowing down. In any case, it's best to resign oneself to the fact that summers in Japan are not conducive to fun.

Now, no wonder I am still in the LAB! Japanese like to torture themselves... there is just no holiday!