Persona 3 Reload: What phrase symbolizes summer?

In Persona 3 Reload, the very first school question you have to answer is in Ms. Toriumi’s class on April 8 (4/8). She’s talking about symbolism in Japanese poetry, and then asks Junpei what phrase symbolizes summer, just to check if he’s been listening.

Unlike most other in-class questions in Persona 3 Reload, the teacher actually gives you the answer immediately before asking the question. But this only makes it easy if you were listening in the first place. Junpei was not listening, so he asks you for help. Given that you’re reading this guide, you presumably weren’t listening either. Perhaps you’d hit the FFWD button. If so, I don’t really blame you. Persona 3 Reload is rather long-winded, after all.

Your choices are “a rain of flowers,” “mystical mirage,” and “vivid carp streamers,” all of which sound pretty summery. So, if you weren’t listening, it’s pretty difficult to guess the answer.

Among these phrases, “a rain of flowers,” “mystical mirage,” and “vivid carp streamers,” which one symbolizes summer?

So, like I said, Ms. Toriumi already told you which phrase symbolizes summer. I would prove it, but I didn’t get a screenshot of that part because I didn’t think I’d need to write this guide because it was so easy. Don’t be offended! Like I said, I don’t blame you for using the FFWD button, even this early in the game.

Anyway, Junpei turns to you in a panic, and your choices are:

• “A rain of flowers.”
• “Mystical mirage.”
• “Vivid carp streamers.”

And the answer is “Vivid carp streamers.” So now you know, the phrase “vivid carp streamers” symbolizes summer in Japanese poetry. I hope you were listening this time!

Vivid carp streamers, by the way, are not people who livestream games of Fishing Planet on Twitch. Persona 3 was first released in 2006, long before Twitch or Fishing Planet even existed. I’m guessing that the bright colors and rapid shimmying movements of the carp look like streamers in the summer sun. Or something. Don’t look at me; I’m neither Japanese nor a poet.

The topic of Japanese poetry does not come up in the midterm exams, so you can immediately forget all about vivid carp streamers, and rains of flowers and mystical mirages, for that matter. You’ll never be called upon to remember that those other two phrases are symbolic of spring, rather than summer.