[Sunday Culture] Kishida Government Ahead of General Election Declares "We Will Catch Pollen" and Why

40% of Koreans Suffer from Spring Pollen Allergies
Cedar Trees Planted Around That Time Cited as Cause

Editor's NoteOn a sluggish Sunday for both body and mind, a reporter from the International Department brings you an interesting read related to Japanese culture.

"Achoo!" The most difficult season for allergy sufferers has arrived. I take allergy medication in spring. Sneezing, runny nose, rubbing itchy eyes repeatedly?this seems to be the time when quality of life drops the most.

In Japan, pollen allergy called 'Kafunsho' (花粉症) is rampant until mid-April. On the 3rd of this month, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio publicly declared that pollen allergy should be managed as a social issue and promised to take measures, drawing more attention. How severe must it be for the Prime Minister himself to step in and issue directives? Today, I would like to talk about this pollen allergy.

Pollen flying from cedar trees. (Photo by Ministry of the Environment, Japan)

Pollen Allergy in Japan is a Common Disease... Over 40% Affected

First, the reason the Prime Minister is issuing directives is because there are too many people suffering from pollen allergy. According to the 'Pollen Allergy Environmental Health Manual' released last year by Japan's Ministry of the Environment, surveys conducted every 10 years by an otolaryngology medical association show that the prevalence of pollen allergy was 19.6% in 1998, 29.8% in 2008, and 42.5% in 2019, increasing by about 10% every decade. A 42.5% rate means more than one in three people are allergy sufferers, which is why it is called a 'national disease' in Japan. It is estimated that about 20 million people suffer from pollen allergy.

The main culprit is cedar pollen, with 38.8% of people allergic to cedar pollen in 2019. One male cedar flower releases about 400,000 pollen grains. Besides cedar, pollen from cypress, birch, cherry blossom, grasses, and chrysanthemums?about 50 types of pollen?cause allergies. Because of this, pollen information always appears alongside spring weather forecasts, predicting how much pollen will be in the air.

Japanese Pollen Weather Forecast. (Photo by Japan Meteorological Agency)

Mass Planting After the War... Pollen Spreads Over 4.5 Million Hectares

So why does Japan have so many people suffering from pollen allergy? This is related to history. After the defeat in World War II, during the rebuilding of buildings and development of new cities, a large amount of building materials was needed. The government actively planted cedar and cypress trees for timber, creating cedar forests covering about 4.5 million hectares.

Cedar trees usually take 30 to 50 years to grow to a size suitable for timber. The problem is that as these trees matured, cheaper imported timber started to come in. Since it was cheaper to buy imported wood, there was no need to cut down the already planted cedar trees, resulting in the current situation where pollen scatters widely. In fact, the sharp increase in pollen allergy cases starting in the 1970s coincides with the time when cedar trees finished growing.

The problem is the continuously rising prevalence. Allergy sufferers are increasing steadily even in cities far from cedar forests, because pollen that falls on asphalt cannot be absorbed and is blown around again by the wind.

Additionally, the high temperatures caused by global warming are further aggravating allergies. Hot summers lead to more pollen the following spring. Now it is understandable why Prime Minister Kishida made an official announcement.

Solution Takes Centuries... Prevention Needed in Daily Life

The Japanese government and local authorities have long been grappling with this problem. In 1995, the Liberal Democratic Party had a group of lawmakers called the 'Sneezing Lawmakers League' focused on allergy countermeasures, and former Prime Minister Koizumi established the 'Pollen Allergy Countermeasure Study Group' in the Cabinet Office in 2005. Prime Minister Kishida has now pledged to actively share information between ministries to devise measures, and attention is on how effective these measures will be.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In fact, the best method is to cut down the cedar trees causing the problem and replant with species that produce less pollen. However, it is said that it would take over 300 years to cut down the vast cedar forests at this point. This is practically impossible physically.

Therefore, the Ministry of the Environment in Japan suggests pollen allergy prevention measures that can be implemented in daily life. I think these can be referenced in Korea as well, so I will introduce them. Pollen is most abundant on clear, warm days with dry and windy weather, or the day after rain stops, especially if warm weather continues for 2 to 3 days. You should be particularly careful when going outside during these times.

Wearing both a mask and glasses can block a large portion of pollen entering the mucous membranes. Woolen clothing easily attracts pollen, so it is advised to avoid wearing knitwear during this period.

Many people worry about ventilation, but reducing the window opening to about 10 cm and using lace curtains can reduce pollen entering indoors to one-quarter.

Above all, most over-the-counter pollen allergy prevention products such as ointments applied inside the nose or folk remedies like regularly eating yogurt have little effect. If symptoms are severe, visiting a medical institution is the best course of action.

I lost count of how many times I sneezed while writing this article. Wishing everyone a healthy week ahead.