Solar terror

It would be impossible not to notice the start of summer. Just the day before, when rainy season was coming to an end, the temperature was 26 degrees. Summer started with clear sky and 33ºC. It meant that all the water began to evaporate rapidly, increasing the outdoor humidity to 90%. The sudden rise in temperature did not gave me the slightest chance to adjust to new weather conditions. I was feeling like in a sauna. Japanese summer has began.

Am I exaggerating? Not a bit. It was the first time in my life that I really feared for my health. If it had not been for the quick rescue of a cold isotonic drink, it could have ended differently for me. Now I understand why there are so many vending machines in Japan. The first days of summer are known to be extremely dangerous in Japan. with the press and television constantly warning against sunstroke and heat attacks. And it is not only foreigners, but even the locals, who have trouble adjusting from the relatively cool to the unbearably hot period. Every year, a large number of people is hospitalized due to heat. And what is the worst, as years go by, summers in Japan are becoming warmer and warmer...

Vending machines save lives!

A true blessing during this time of the year are the ever-present vending machines. I finally understood why every one of them has isotonic drinks on offer. With such temperatures, staying hydrated is extremely important. Unfortunately, high temperatures high humidity are not the only problems. Also the UV index score can reach up to 11+. This means that unprotected skin exposed to the sun can be burned in just a few minutes! What's even worse it also means an increased risk of skin cancer. How then should one protect oneself? First of all, avoid the sun and unnecessary exposure to the outdoors. Second - sunscreen. The higher the SPF factor the better (the filter should be in the the UVA and UVB range!). Also, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with a UV filter are necessary. While observing the Japanese people I noticed that many of them use the additional protection of long-sleeved clothing. This is a good idea, but for me, wearing this type of clothing in hot weather seem like an impossible task. That leaves the last layer of protection which is.... an umbrella. Wearing an umbrella on a sunny day is a common practice here, among both men and women. Of course, at first this may come as a surprise, we are used to umbrellas being used only when it rains. However, it is only the return to the original function of the item - umbrellas were invented to protect from the sun.

The beginning of summer was a bit scary and overwhelming. On some days, even just by sitting down, one could get quite sweaty, and walking felt more like swimming or entering a sauna. However, as time went by, I found that my body was finally able to adapt. After six weeks of high temperatures, I realised that 26 or even 27 degrees Celsius started to feel (pleasantly) cold. The greatest relief by far comes from relaxing in a park, under the shade of trees. Especially on windy days. Summer in Japan is a pretty good time for tourists. However, it is definitely much more difficult for the locals. Especially when you consider another symbol of Japanese summer which is.... cicadas!

Cicadas come in a variety of colours. On the left, a cicada is leaving its moult.

These insects are rather little known in Poland, but not inexistent. There are two species of cicadas in my country. Meanwhile, there are more than thirty of them in Japan. Each species differs slightly in appearance and, more importantly, in the sound they make. And it is the sounds that is their defining characteristic. Japanese cicadas hatch en masse to the surface every summer to carry out their mating after spending an entire year underground. These insects are so associated with this time of year that the Japanese even refer to their calls as the "sound of the summer". This is a fitting name, as they can be heard virtually anywhere where trees can be found. It doesn't have to be a forest or even a park. A small square with greenery is enough! The sound intensity of some species can be as high as 120 dB (!). This made me very quickly replace the word "singing" or "humming" with "clamour" and "noise" (or worse...). Thus. The noisy cicadas start screaming in the early morning. The ones living in the square next to my building start around five o'clock and only finish when the sun goes down. I learned how to hate them very quickly. Fortunately, most species do not have a nocturnal lifestyle. Most. Unfortunately, as I have been able to see over the last few weeks... some become active at the dusk. Yes there were both types near my apartment :)

Cicadas are firmly rooted in Japanese culture, criticising them (like I do) is not always met with understanding. One of the typical summer pastimes of young children in Japan is catching these insects with a butterfly nets. This activity is as safe as possible. Cicadas do not bite or sting (they can only contribute to hearing loss...). This seemed unusual for me, but in truth, it allows children to become familiar with insects.

That's it for today. Of course, my attempt to characterise summer in Japan is extremely shallow. There are many customs, practices and festivals worth describing that would require separate articles... Thus, see you in the next post ;)