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Rainy days ahead? Meet “Leaf Hat” Decor Pikmin!
Jun 12 2022

Not only the sun, but rain is also essential for plants to grow and flowers to bloom. Today, we’re welcoming to our squad a new type of Decor Pikmin that you can only meet on rainy days: the “Leaf Hat” Decor Pikmin. This type of Decor Pikmin is different from any you have met so far in that it is not tied to a particular location, and it only makes an appearance when the required weather conditions are met. The “Leaf Hat” Decor Pikmin is only available for the Blue Pikmin, which is the only one who is resistant to water, and can be found wearing three different types of “Leaf Hat”.

Are you looking forward to the next rainy day in your area yet? Here are some fun facts to enjoy in the meanwhile!

1. What do raindrops look like?

Close your eyes and imagine a picture of a raindrop. What does it look like? Perhaps you have imagined a shape similar to that of a “teardrop”, with a thin top and a puffy bottom. Actually, this is not what raindrops look like! Raindrops are said to look more like a Chinese steamed bun than like a teardrop. Ice grains gather in clouds and when they reach a certain weight, they fall toward the ground. As the altitude drops, the temperature rises, so the ice turns from solid to water grains, but because of air resistance as they fall, the underside becomes flatter, so the shape is wider than the shape generally people imagine. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could actually watch this process?

2. Unexpected “desert”?!

When we think about places that do not usually get much rain, we almost immediately think of a “desert”: an endless stretch of sandy hills under the scorching sun. The definition of a desert is an area with “less than 250 mm of annual rainfall” and “more evaporation than rainfall”. It turns out that Antarctica actually falls under this definition! While Antarctica is considered to be colder than the Arctic, if we go by the amount of rainfall that it gets, it could be considered a desert. However, in March 2022, there was a slight anomaly in Antarctica. Temperatures rose nearly 40 degrees above normal, and considerable rainfall caused the snow shelf to collapse. This is said to be another effect of global warming.

3. Plants are immune activated by rain

If you look closely at the surface of the stems and leaves of most plants, you will see they have fine hair. This hair is called trichome, and it fulfills different purposes, such as protecting the plant from light, keeping pests away from the main body, and colmost plant leaves. According to a study by Nagoya University, when these hairs (trichomes) sense rain, they predict the arrival of pathogens and activate the immune system to avoid disease. Had you ever heard of this before?

Maybe some of you need a little more extra energy to go out on a rainy day. May this “Leaf Hat” Decor Pikmin, which you can meet only on rainy days, be one of the motivations for you to go out! When you go out in the rain with Pikmin Bloom, the ground may be slippery - be sure to pay good attention to your surroundings, stay safe, and have fun!

*In order for the “Leaf Hat” Decor Pikmin to be displayed correctly, please update your app to the latest version (v45).

Sources:

https://gpm.nasa.gov/education/articles/shape-of-a-raindrop
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/22/antarctica-heat-record-melt-climate/
https://bit.ly/3Q2iYnW
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28813-8

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pikmin Bloom. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated.

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