Summer in Japan
Summer in Japan lasts from June to August, and while it is a great time to visit for cultural experiences, such as festivals, it is very hot and extremely humid.
Day time temperatures in August regularly exceed 35°C (95°F) and rarely drop below 30°C (86°F) even at night, especially in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. However, it’s not so much the heat that you may struggle most with, but the humidity!
As a Brit, I am used to a far more temperate or cooler climate. Although the UK does often experience heatwaves during the summer, it simply doesn’t compare to the consistency in temperatures and humidity here in Japan.
Many people will recommend that a visit during the summer months would be best spent in more mountainous areas. However, there are still many reasons one would wish to visit one or more of the great cities of Japan.
So, I will instead recommend ways to keep cool during this warm and humid period.
How To Stay Cool
Due to the Japanese summer climate, there are many interesting and effective methods and devices designed to make it just a little less unbearable. Not all of the following suggestions will keep you cool. A few will, but some will simply help to lessen the impact of it all.
Summer in Japan – How to stay cool…
Cooling Tech
There are quite a few devices which claim to keep you cool, however I have experienced and heard mixed results. I will offer two which I believe to be the most effective..
Battery powered or USB rechargeable hand-held fans. A traditional Japanese style fan would also work well.
These don’t have any active cooling capabilities, but will help with air flow. Often at times the air will feel thick and stale, a fan is an effective way to direct some air movement which will also help sweat evaporate quicker and as a result make the skin feel cooler.
Powered neck band fans are useful to keep the hands free, and some also feature active cooling technology.
Shirt Cooling Spray
Shirt cooling spray is applied to the inside of a shirt or blouse and will for a time provide a cooling sensation to the wearer. Available in the pharmacy in large and small bottles. If you wear an open or loose fitting shirt then a small bottle kept in your bag can be easily re-applied throughout the day.
Cooling Wipes
Cooling wipes or “body sheets” are available at the pharmacy and convenience store. There are quite a few to choose from, some featuring subtle but pleasant fragrances such as citrus or peach, for example.
Primarily designed as a deodorant solution, many will also have some cooling effect too!
My personal favourites are the “ice” ones, which in my experience offer the best cooling capabilities and the subtlest of fragrance.
Cooling wipes, if applied before stepping outside will keep you feeling somewhat cool and fresh for a time. I recommend also carrying a small pack with you in your bag for re-application throughout the day.
Important note! Do NOT apply “body wipes” to your face, especially around the eyes! You must get “facial sheets” for application to the face. From personal experience, “body wipes” WILL sting your eyes!
Cooling Towel
Cooling towels, available at the pharmacy, are specially designed to remain cool even in the most extreme heat.
Simply wet the towel under a tap, squeeze out the excess water and wrap or drape around your neck or tie around your head.
When the towel becomes dry, simply re-wet and enjoy a continuous cooling effect.
Understand that having a slightly wet towel around your neck may cause parts of your clothing to become slightly damp. I personally don’t find this much of an issue, but it’s worth mentioning.
Tenugui or Small Hand Towels
It won’t take you long to notice that almost everyone is carrying around a small hand towel, and some even a traditional Japanese tenugui.
The simple and most unglamorous reason for this is… For wiping sweat away!
Some people sweat more than others, if you are one of these people then I recommend carrying more than one small hand towel.
When you feel the sweat building up on your forehead or face, simply pull our your hand towel and wipe it away!
You can buy hand towels at convenience stores and tenugui from traditional Japanese shops, souvenir places or even Amazon! Neither of these will cool you actively, but they will make you both less uncomfortable and more presentable to others.
Air Conditioning!
It may seem obvious, but can also be easily missed! Most public and commercial buildings such as libraries, department stores, convenience stores, eateries and such will have air conditioning.
When being outside just becomes too much, you can take a brief refuge in one of these places!
Please do not do this without purchasing something, even if it is small. Air conditioning does cost money and these businesses rely on sales to pay for it.
If you enter a convenience store for example, I recommend you spend a few minutes browsing the isles (you may stumble across something you actually want or need) and then buy bottle of water or other refreshing and hydrating drink before leaving.
It is important to stay hydrated!
Many convenience stores will actually have frozen bottles of water or ion drinks such as Pocari Sweat available! Be sure to check the freezer area for these, as they can serve as both a direct cooling device and as the contents melts, a much needed source of hydration!
It is also worth mentioning that many trains also have pretty decent air conditioning! So perhaps take a short train ride to a place of interest and enjoy a few minutes sitting down in a nice cool train car!
Stay Hydrated!
Please do not be deterred from visiting Japan during the Summer.
YES, the Spring offers the beautiful Sakura season.. YES, the Autumn colours and light-ups are spectacular.
But the Summer also has much to offer!
Try out some of the personal cooling methods I have recommended in this post but most importantly remember to stay hydrated!
Sweating is an important part of our natural cooling process, but it also causes our bodies to lose a lot of water and salt.. So drink plenty of water and ion supply drinks!
Thank you for reading!
