Itching Beauty
Tourists love to visit Japan in springtime to see the soft pink splendor of the country’s well-known sakura (cherry blossom) season. But as we all know, often with beauty comes pain. And with beauty also comes sneezing, wheezing, and itchy eyes. Because springtime in Japan isn’t just a time of exquisite beauty, it’s also a time of annoying allergies.
Japanese hay fever is known as Kafunsho (meaning pollen illness). Japan’s seasonal hay fever is caused by pollen dispersed in the air, mainly by two local trees. One is called sugi (Japanese cedar) and the other hinoki (Japanese cypress). So, if you decide to travel to Japan during springtime, be sure to stock up on your allergy meds.