Summer in Japan seems become hotter and hotter every year. The temperature is around 35℃(=95℉). But because of high humidity, you’ll feel it’s like 40℃(=104℉). Many people die of heatstroke every summer so TV keeps asking us to use AC, drink water, take a rest during outside activities and so on.

[When to use AC?]

I’m from countryside of Japan and it’s also hot during a day but cool at night. So I had never used AC at night. However, if you live in big cities like Tokyo or Osaka, you might need to keep it turning on while you are home. Asphalt roads don’t let the heat escape, so it’s still very hot after the sunsets. If you don’t turn on, you’ll feel too hot and can’t relax. There is even a possibility to die.

But do we really need to turn AC on whole summer? The answer is no. If you see weather forecast in Japan, you’ll find they mention not only temperature but also heatstroke alert. This alert is usually shown as colors with human faces. If you see blue color with relaxing face, you can turn AC off. But if you see red or purple (most dangerous) colors with sweating faces, don’t hesitate to turn the machine on.

This benchmark is also useful when you do outdoor activities or just going out. Bring a bottle of water (hopefully with salt) and don’t do too much in red or purple days. Actually, I give up doing outdoor exercise in the days and it’s the best way.

[Reference: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/orbitalelevator/e/59bd3176ac33d2b688fbee0fc72ae949]

[How to make ourselves cooler?]

If you have to go out for an important reason, here are some useful tools to keep you cooler.

-Portable fan
This product makes you feel breeze anytime. It’s very light and small so you can wear on you neck. The interesting thing is you can purchase portable fans at Tokyo Disney Resort. They call it “mist fan”. It has small water tank behind the fan and can generate misty wind.

[Reference: nappy-net (http://www.nappy-net.com/item/details.html?item=1834&dir=775)]

-Instant ice packet
It looks like a normal gel but it’s a magical product. Make a fist and hit it, it immediately freezes. You can get a normal icepack for free at cake shops or supermarkets in Japan. But it so small and melts easily so not suitable for outdoor activities. This ice packet, on the other hand, can be frozen when you need.

[Reference: RESCUE+ (http://www.rescueplus.jp/products.php?cid=z)]

-Cool towel
This looks like a normal towel or scarf, but if you put this into water for a couple of minutes it becomes and remains cool for hours. Human neck have lots of blood vessels so round the towel there. Of course it can also be used as a normal towel, so it’s a perfect companion when you do exercise.

[Reference: ZEGAL (http://zegal.co.jp/archives/1913)]

Mayu

Japan