Japan Declares War on Hay Fever

The coronavirus mandates to wear masks in public were easy for Japanese citizens to follow. Why? Because pollen allergies in Japan are no joke. Approximately 40% of the Japanese population suffers from significant hay fever symptoms. Even Japanese macaque monkeys have been found suffering from sneezing and watering eyes in the spring. And for most people (and monkeys), the cause of their torment is human in origin.

During World War 2 and in the immediate post war period, many of Japan's forests were denuded for firewood and building materials. The Japanese government responded during post war reconstruction by wholesale planting of sugi (Japanese Cryptomeria, though often called cedar), and hinoki (Japanese cypress). These trees grow fast and produce quality lumber. Unfortunately, they also produce prodigious amounts of pollen. And peak pollen production occurs when trees reach 30 years of age.

As Japan grew rich in the post-war era, imported building materials were cheaper than domestic lumber, so many forests were abandoned to grow on their own. Today most trees are at or near peak pollen production. So even though forested land has not increased, pollen levels have continued up.

While the Japanese government has talked about taking measures to reduce the problem for many years, on October 11th this year, it finally got serious. The Japanese government is going to cut the offending trees down. It will target human-planted forests of cryptomeria and hinoki cypress, cut them down, and replant them with trees that spread less pollen. The condemned forests will be decided and prioritized this fiscal year, and they will start cutting trees and replanting near population centers like Tokyo and Osaka. The current logging target of 50,000 hectares per year will be increased to 70,000 hectares.

In a move sure to boost his flagging popularity, Prime Minister Kishida attended the meeting and issued the following statement:

Hay fever can be called a social problem that continues to bother many people. We will strongly advance hay fever countermeasures in line with the package.

Additionally, the government announced plans to share more detailed data about pollen production with private firms so that they can produce more accurate predictions. Cloud computing will be leveraged to track pollen data and 3D weather information will also be integrated to get a clear picture.

Hopefully someday soon, we will no longer have to say that Japan is a place where you can't see the forest for the sneeze.