Tips to Survive Summer in Japan | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Tips to Survive Summer in Japan

By Linh Truong Aug 15, 2018

This post is also available in: Vietnamese

Traveling in Japan this summer is the best time to enjoy the lively atmosphere in swimming pools with waterslides, the fruits, and the traditional Japanese food that other seasons that do not have. However, this year, according to Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo seems to be experiencing the hottest summer, recorded highest in history, which leads to many emergency situations and even death. The Tokyo Fire Department has been reported to send out 3,091 ambulances to take people to the hospitals due to the extreme heat. In order to help you survive through this scorching summer, let’s find out useful information and tips for summer.

1. Sun – Threat of Skin Cancer

UV rays from the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer. A person who has long-term exposure to sunlight in both summer and winter can get tanned skin, but at the same time, may face the risk of skin cancer. Summer is the season of tank top, shorts, and swimsuits, so there is a higher probability for sun exposure to happen. Here are the symptoms of skin cancer:

  • The asymmetry between the shapes of two halves of a mole
  • A mole’s border is blurred or ragged
  • A mole’s colour has different shades of red, white, brown, tan, or blue
  • The appearance of new moles that have different colour, size and shape
  • A considerable change in the diameter of a mole.

It has been said that prevention is better than cure. How can we prevent skin cancer in the season of short clothes and harsh sunlight?

One of the most effective methods to protect our skin is sunscreen. Nowadays, various cosmetic brands provide their customers with many types of sunscreen. What you have to do is to know what type your skin is and then find a suitable sunscreen to maximize the efficiency. You need to apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before you go out so that your skin will have time to absorb the sunscreen and to be protected from the UV rays.  

Please note that even if you apply sunscreen, if possible, you should not let your skin be fully exposed to sunlight for a long time, especially from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2. Water – a Weapon to Fight Against the Dehydration of Summer

Do you know that approximately 60 to 70 percent of your body weight is water?

All cells, organs, as well as body tissues, need water to regulate the temperature and also maintain the functions of that body in a healthy condition. In particular, water works for three primary functions:

  • Adequate protection of a body’s tissues, spinal cords, and joints.
  • Active support of the body’s ability to get rid of waste.
  • Supply of enzymes along with other necessary factors that are needed in digesting nutritions.

Your body will lose water through your every single activity including breathing, sweating and digesting. In this summer – a season of extreme heat, the body is more likely to lose water, especially through sweating. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on your body conditions so you can prevent your body from becoming dehydrated.

Depending on the weather, the environment, or the conditions of the body, each person will need different amounts of water for themselves. In fact, many people only drink water when they feel thirsty and sometimes, the amount of water they take only in these situations does not meet their bodies’ demands. Being thirsty is just one of several symptoms of dehydration. So how can you tell that your body needs more water or not?

  • A feeling of fatigue
  • The dark color of urine
  • An increase in heart rate
  • Muscles Cramps
  • Constipation
  • Feeling of thirsty

Here are the tips to drink water in summer to keep your body hydrated:

  • It is better to drink around 1.5-2 litre of water per day.
  • In the early morning, a cup of water will clear the stomach as well as the intestines.
  • When it is getting hotter, since the internal organs takes time to adjust to the body temperature, you should drink water slowly and savour the water in your mouth for some time.
  • In order not to forget about drinking water, you can also set a timer to remind yourself and bring a bottle of water when you go out.
  • If you get bored with drinking regular water, you can add more water to your body by drinking other kinds of drinks that have different taste, (e.g., herbal tea, fresh fruit juice) or by eating fruits and vegetables containing good amount water (e.g., watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes)

3. Air-conditioner – an irreplaceable item in summer

When summer comes, it is a common thought that air-conditioner is an essential item that no one can live without. It would be an ideal way to survive through the summer going to a cool place or staying home with the air-conditioner and enjoy a cold drink. An air-conditioner can help you cool down the heat of the summer, make you feel relaxed as well as improve the quality of the air. However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages, so does an air-conditioner. Spending too much time in an environment with an air-conditioner will result in many disadvantages:

  • High air-conditioner usage can cause the skin dryness, which makes your skin lack necessary moisture, and then become dry, sensitive and easily irritated.
  • Also, a sudden change in temperature between outdoors and indoors may accelerate the number of respiratory problems as well as the summer heat fatigue.
  • Even though an air-conditioner can make improvements in the air quality, if it is not cleaned frequently, it will have a reverse effect. Dust or bacteria can be built up in the air filters of an air-conditioner, which is the cause of respiratory tract infections and asthma attacks.
  • Because an air-conditioner consumes a lot of electricity, it could be financially troubling for those who keep it on for an extended period of time.

Therefore, it’s better not to misuse the air-conditioner.

 

I hope you take all these tips to heart and have a wonderful summer!

Linh

Vietnam