Pollen Levels in Tokyo This Spring Projected to be Fourth Highest on Record

Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."

Thanks for joining us.

In this program we'll learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories.

Today's headline is "Pollen Levels in Tokyo This Spring Projected to be Fourth Highest on Record."

Hay fever season in Japan has arrived.

And every year come spring, it's very common to see people wearing, you know,

glasses and masks - trying to protect themselves from the pollen.

Right, this is a harsh time of year for a lot of people living in Japan.

OK, before we go to the news clip, let's go over some words to listen for.

"kafun."

pollen.

"sugi."

Japanese cedar.

"kushami."

sneeze.

All right, let's watch the news clip.

When pollen is in the air,

those with hay fever suffer
from sneezing and itchy eyes.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government
has announced

how much Japanese cedar and cypress pollen
is likely to be in the air this spring.

(They say) there will be 2.7 times
the amount of pollen compared to last year,

which is the fourth highest figure
since surveys began about 40 years ago.

The pollen will start to scatter
around February 13 to 17,

the same as in an ordinary year.

There will be around 51 days
with high pollen counts.

Pollen is produced in early summer.

Last year the Japanese cedar
and cypress trees grew tall

because of long hours of
sunshine during that period.

For this reason,

Tokyo officials believe that
pollen levels will be high.

They urge people to wear
masks and glasses,

and to gargle and wash their hands.

They also say it's important
to go to the hospital.

OK. Let's review the following sentence from the story.

When pollen is in the air, those with hay fever suffer from sneezing and itchy eyes.

Now read along with me.

"kafun ga tobu to kafun-shoo no hito wa

kushami ga detari me ga kayuku nattari shite taihen desu."

"Kafun-shoo" refers to hay fever.

It's an allergic reaction to pollen - in this case, from Japanese cedar and cypress trees.

When pollen enters the body, it can cause symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose,

congestion, and itchiness or redness of the eyes.

Yeah, personally, I don't have "kafun-shoo," but I see a lot of people around me suffering from it.

Right. It is said that one in three Japanese people suffer from hay fever symptoms.

Now, the "shoo" in "kafun-shoo" refers to the nature of an illness.

It's used to describe medical conditions with specific symptoms.

For example, if you regularly have trouble sleeping, we call that "fumin-shoo."

When you're in a hot environment for a long time and you start to feel sick,

we call that "necchuu-shoo."

And whatever illness you're experiencing, if you're sick and your symptoms are mild, we say "keeshoo."

If your condition is severe, we say "juushoo."

Right. We've heard "keeshoo" and "juushoo" a lot in recent years because of COVID-19

and their severity of symptoms.

Yes, for a while you would hear it on the news every day.

OK, let's move on to the following sentences.

Pollen is produced in early summer.

Last year the Japanese cedar and cypress trees grew tall
because of long hours of sunshine during that period.

Now read along with me.

"kafun wa natsu no hajime ni dekimasu.

kyonen kono toki ni taiyoo ga deteiru jikan ga nagakute

sugi ya hinoki ga ookiku narimashita."

It may come as a surprise, but the amount of pollen in the air is tied to the previous year's weather conditions.

And most of spring pollen in Japan comes from "sugi" and "hinoki."

That's true, but why does Japan have so many cypress and cedar trees?

So, the reason is "shokurin."

It all started in the post-war era.

About half a century ago, the Japanese government began launching reforestation projects across the country.

Japanese cedar and cypress were chosen because of their commercial value as lumber.

I see.

Now let's check in with Tokunaga-sensei to learn some expressions related to hay fever.

When there's lots of pollen
in the air,

people with hay fever experience
sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes.

Itchiness of the eyes is
"me ni kayumi ga aru."

Nasal congestion is
"hana ga tsumaru."

We use the verb "deru" with
"kushami" and "hanamizu."

So we say "kushami ga deru"
and "hanamizu ga deru."

We also use "deru" in expressions like
"seki ga deru" and "chi ga deru."

Let's say you're sneezing
or coughing a lot,

or you have a runny nose
or bleeding that won't stop.

You can say "kushami ga tomaranai"
or "chi ga tomaranai."

Use the phrase "tomaranai."

"Inside Japan."

Now, what can we do to keep pollen at bay, and what should you do if you develop hay fever symptoms?

We consulted Doctor Okamoto Yoshitaka, who is the director of Chiba Rosai Hospital and an expert on hay fever.

He gave us some advice on how we can combat "kafun-shoo."

Hay fever causes symptoms like sneezing and watery eyes, so it's important to protect your face.

Doctor Okamoto recommends wearing a mask made of non-woven fabric, or glasses.

And make sure they fit snugly but comfortably, so there are no gaps.

And as for clothing, pollen tends to stick to fuzzy, fluffy fabrics, so avoid wearing wool.

And instead, you want to wear something like a coat made of synthetic material -

something with a smooth surface.

Even better, wear a hat to minimize the amount of pollen that sticks to your hair.

I didn't think of that, but it would stick, wouldn't it !

Right.

Doctor Okamoto says the amount of pollen in the air tends to be higher

on warm days with temperatures above 15 degrees Celsius...

as well as the day after a rainy day, when the weather clears up.

Next, Doctor Okamoto says it is important to minimize the amount of pollen you bring inside with you.

Use a lint roller or some wet wipes to remove the pollen on your clothes.

But, I think a lot of people tend to brush off their clothes or pat them clean...

Yes, but if you do that, the pollen on your clothes goes into the air,

where it can get in your nose and eyes.

So you want to avoid that.

Also, clean your floors regularly using a damp cloth or a vacuum cleaner to remove pollen.

Hanging your laundry to dry indoors will also help reduce your exposure.

But where should you go if you're experiencing allergies and want to seek medical care?

You have a number of options, but if you're experiencing symptoms in your nose,

you should go to a "jibi-ka" or "jibi inkoo-ka."

And if it's your eyes, go to a "gan-ka."

You can also go to an "arerugii-ka" to get advice about general symptoms.

Well, I guess hay fever is just like the cherry blossoms, or the autumn foliage,

or the rainy season... it's just a natural part of living in Japan!

Now, we hope that this primer has helped you so that you are informed and prepared for "kafun-shoo"

and it doesn't catch you by surprise.

Definitely.

OK, and that's it for today.

We'll see you next time.

See you soon.