How to survive the hellish heat of summer in Japan
Summer in Japan is notorious for being extremely hot and humid, and thus the last thing that anyone would want to do during these few months is to go outside into the blazing heat of the sun. Staying in an air-conditioned room all day to stay cool, though ideal, is not a feasible option.
Knowing your concerns, GoEMON has prepared this article to provide you with all the tips on how to stay cool despite the sweltering heat of summer in Japan. Let’s go!
1. UV-blocking umbrella
When it comes to summer in Japan, one must-have item is undeniably a good UV-blocking umbrella. One simply cannot avoid walking in Japan, which is no worse than a nightmare during the summer here due to the scorching sun and extremely hot temperature. Walking directly under the sun without protection could be very damaging to your health and skin condition and can even lead to heat strokes. Therefore, during the summer, a good UV-blocking umbrella will be your best ally! These umbrellas are available in various sizes and designs for you to choose from, and you can find them literally everywhere, from convenience stores, online shops, and department stores!
2. Japan’s innovative cooling wipes and cooling sprays
As an innovative country, Japan is famous for many useful products that can help you combat the heat of summer. Two common products are cooling wipes and cooling spray. As can be inferred from their names, the former is a type of wet wipe that has a cooling effect when wiped on your body, whereas the latter works in the same way but is in the form of a spray and you would mist it on your clothes rather than directly on your skin. You can find these items at any drugstore or home center.
3, Portable fans
Another method that Japanese people use to stay cool in the summer is to bring with them a small, portable fan. These can be the common handheld ones or the ones that can be worn over your neck like headphones. These fans are relatively cheap and you can also find them in all sorts of places, from drugstores, convenience stores, and home centers to 100-yen stores like Daiso.
4. Stay hydrated
One of the most important things that you need to remember during the summer here is to stay hydrated to make up for all the sweating. Additionally, no matter what products you use to cool yourself down, they won’t work well if you are not properly hydrated. So don’t forget to drink plenty of water and try to bring a bottle of water whenever you are going out!
Some popular drink options in the summer are sports drinks (such as POCARI SWEAT or Aquarius) that can help maintain your electrolytes, or Barley tea (Mugicha) - the go-to summer drink for many Japanese people.
5. Choose the right foods
One of the most simple and straightforward ways to battle the summer heat is to eat cold foods. Many would think that cold food is mostly limited to desserts like ice cream or simple foods like salad. Such is not the case in Japan, as there are so many options for you to choose from! These range from desserts, such as Kakigori (Japanese shaved ice), Kuzumochi, or ice cream, to other foods and meals such as Hiyashi Soumen (cold soumen noodles), Hiyashi Chuka (chilled Chinese noodles), or Cold udon noodles. Don’t forget to explore them this summer!
In this article, GoEMON has introduced to you some of the best methods to stay cool even during the hottest months of summer in Japan. Also, feel free to comment down below if you have any other suggestions on measures to take to beat the blazing summer heat!
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