Microclimates are what make it possible for one area to be drenched in rain while another, just a few miles away, remains dry ...

These areas with their small variations are called microclimates. Physical features such as water areas can have a cooling effect on the land. Trees can shade the land, also making it cooler.

Does it really rain 366 days a year on Yakushima island, the place that inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 animated film “Princess Mononoke”? Having visited the island several times, I was about ...