Summer Homework: Things to Mind and Enjoy

Jul 31, 2024

Summer Homework: Things to Mind and Enjoy

As we head into August, residents of Japan will begin wrestling with a month that continues the beats of July: Extreme heat coupled with high humidity and typhoons from time to time. While the cicadas may calm down during the month of August, seasoned residents know that the heat most certainly will not and it seems to last deeper into the night. Furthermore, there are many things to keep in mind during this season of unrelenting humidity and heat. Yet, not all is lost as August can be one of the more enjoyable months with plenty to do.

Mind the Air Conditioners

Most people have broken down and started cranking the air conditioner. You may have a sacred temperature you try not to go below, but the point is that your air conditioning units are earning their keep for the year at the moment.

Since they are putting in so much work, dust will accumulate at a faster rate than usual.Make sure to find time to clean them here and there as even a light vacuuming of the filters for the wall units can make a big impact. This is especially true if anyone in your house is sensitive to house dust or other allergies.

As noted in previous articles, this guide found on GaijinPot is utterly fantastic for handling the typical wall-mounted units found in the majority of residences in Japan.

Mind the Humidity

Japan pulls off the unique double whammy of extreme heat and extreme humidity. This Floridian is rather used to it, but people from drier or cooler climates may not be prepared for the nastiness of how fast vegetables can spoil or how fast mold can be found under mattresses.

Try to air out your residence whenever you leave and be mentally ready to use your vegetables and fruits a bit quicker than usual. If you have any mattresses that may not be getting airflow, finding time to turn them over and letting fresh air and sunlight hit them for a few hours can make all the difference.

Lastly, remember the humidity will also impact your ability to sweat. You can easily suffer from heatstroke even at places like the pool or the beach if your clothes do not allow enough heat to transfer out of your body.

Mind the Car Battery

With summer comes wanting to crank up the air conditioning while driving around. However, more than that is the increased strain on your battery from working in the summer heat. Higher car temperatures cause higher operational strains and even decisions like where to park your car can cause long-lasting effects that may not reveal themselves until winter.

Remember, preventative care will aways beat out reactive care – doubly so if you experience car troubles with a newly purchased tub of ice cream in the trunk!

Enjoy the Summer!

Of course, summer is not only pure suffering. The residents of Japan love getting together for summer festivals and events where you can sample all sorts of excellent street foods, play classic Japanese festival games and even participate in things like the Bon Odori (a special kind of summertime festival dance).

The culture is quite welcoming to foreign residents joining in with traditional wear, so feel free to buy or rent a summer yukata (Tokyo) (Hiroshima) or purchase your own jimbei when joining in.

Beer gardens will also be in full swing with plenty to see, drink and eat. Every major city will have various options, though you may need some google skills if you live outside of the Kansai – Tokai – Kanto belt. (Tokyo) (Hiroshima)

Lastly, summer brings to mind fireworks! Many major festivals will cap off the evening with a fun display for everyone to enjoy. Just keep in mind that it is everyone trying to enjoy them, so the trains and roads on the way back can be extremely packed! (Tokyo)

Plan well, plan ahead and you will find your Japanese summer to be filled with great laughs, memorable experiences and a photo reel that will be the envy of your friends back home.

Zanpei, via Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0