Japanese Summer: 2024 Challenges
Japanese Summer is no joke, trust me. In the UK where I grew up our Summers are famously modest, with a few truly hot days each year if we’re really lucky. Slap on some shorts and sun cream and you’re fine. But in Japan, Summer is all consuming and requires not just a new wardrobe but a new mindset to face.
Japanese Summer is relentlessly hot and humid. Meaning a mixture of high temperature and muggy, thick air at the same time. It’s punishing even for Japanese people, let alone visitors or tourists. For those unprepared it’s easy to get dehydrated, sunburned or suffer from dizziness and heatstroke.
2023 was the hottest Japanese Summer on record, and 2024 has proved to be perilous so far. The usual heatwave started early this year, testing national readiness and leading to the authorities adding a “most severe” category to the heatstroke index. Hospitals are struggling under the pressure and temperatures have soared to an eye-watering 40°C in some parts of the country.
How To Prepare
How To PrepareThankfully Japan has trusted precautions in place to deal with this yearly weather challenge. Air conditioning is ubiquitous inside buildings and public transport is also frequently air conditioned. For those on the go, special “cooling shelters” with air con have been set up around Tokyo to help too.
Japanese fashion is also at the ready, with parasols being a popular addition in the Summer. Traditional paper fans were developed, and are still popular, for giving the user the light breeze in style. Natural fabrics like cotton and merino wool are prized for their utility in the heat.
I myself am a loud advocate of clothing brand Uniqlo’s AIRism range. AIRism is a kind of breathable, cooling fabric that helps collect sweat (gross but important) and stops it soaking through your clothes. Wearing the AIRism vests under your regular clothes is a must to help tackle the Japanese Summer heat. I’d recommend every tourist heading to Japan in the Summer to investigate and pick some up, you won’t regret it.
Technological Help
The Japanese love of smart design and gadgets combine to help battle the Japanese Summer heat too. “Cooling rings” and ice packs which can be put in the fridge and freezer are useful. Or how about, as reported by The Japan Times: “devices that look like over-ear headphones which contain fans that blow air up to your face.” Japanese Summer also teaches you that the real purpose of all those vending machines isn’t sweet sugary apple juice or coffee but easy access to water…lots of water.
Whether you’re a tourist or a citizen, planning for the Japanese Summer is an absolute must. There’s a reason the Sakura-season in Spring and the Autumn are often suggested to tourists as the best time to visit Japan. The weather is much cooler and avoids and swelt of Summer or the biting cold of Winter. However, for those ready to brave the heat and diligently prepared for it there’s much to enjoy, Summer festivals, beaches and the ever present rising sun.
