[Sunday Culture] Pollen Allergy Leave... Accommodation Costs Supported by Companies

High Pollen Levels 'Very High' Until April 1 in Tokyo and Kanto Region
Nationwide Disease Affecting Half the Population... Causing Economic Losses

These days, many people are planning trips to Japan for spring flower viewing. However, if you go unprepared, you might end up with unpleasant memories. This is because March and April in Japan are the seasons for pollen allergies.

NHK has already started forecasting pollen allergies for the Kanto region, including Tokyo, and there are media reports urging measures to reduce pollen this year as well. Some companies have even started supporting vacations to pollen-free areas during the pollen season. Today, we will share the story of pollen allergy, known as 'Kafunsho (花粉症·Kafunsho),' which affects half of the Japanese population.

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

On the 27th, NHK announced this year’s pollen situation in the Kanto region. It is expected that the amount of cedar and cypress pollen dispersal will increase frequently after the 27th in areas such as Tokyo and Yokohama.

The Japan Weather Association releases an annual 'pollen dispersal forecast' predicting how severe the pollen spread will be. Except for Friday the 29th, the Kanto region is forecasted to have 'very high' pollen levels until Monday the 1st of next month.

Japan also forecasts the types of tree pollen that will be dispersed because some people have particularly severe allergies to specific types. The timing of pollen dispersal varies slightly depending on the tree. In Tokyo, cedar pollen is expected to peak from early to late March, followed by cypress pollen peaking from late March to mid-April.

Japan is struggling with pollen allergies. Prime Minister Kishida has even announced plans to reduce pollen. According to surveys, half of the population suffers from spring pollen allergies, and Kafunsho is sometimes called a 'national disease.' Economic losses due to reduced productivity caused by pollen are estimated to be as high as 234 billion yen (approximately 2.085 trillion KRW) per day.

The background to this widespread condition lies in Japan’s post-war history. After World War II, Japan needed large amounts of building materials to rebuild structures and develop new cities, so cedar and cypress trees were actively planted. Approximately 4.5 million hectares of cedar forests were established at that time.

Japanese cedar forest. (Photo by NHK)

The problem is that these trees take 30 to 50 years to mature for use as building materials, but by the time they matured, cheaper imported timber began to enter the market. Since it was cheaper to buy imported wood, there was no need to cut down the already planted cedar trees, which led to the current situation where pollen is scattered widely. In fact, the sharp increase in pollen allergies starting in the 1970s coincides with the time when cedar trees reached maturity.

In any case, due to this pollen issue, promotions for spring hotel vacations and holidays are increasing. Tourist products such as 'pollen-free hotel vacations' are being promoted in areas like Hokkaido where pollen is relatively low, and some companies encourage employees to take workations in pollen-free areas.

Recently, the Japanese startup Isaac has attracted attention by introducing a vacation system called 'Tropical Escape' during the pollen season from February to April. Since the pollen allergy season causes physical and mental fatigue and reduces productivity, the idea is to create new value by traveling to pollen-free areas. Employees who declare they will stay in places deemed pollen-free, such as Okinawa, receive subsidies of up to 200,000 yen (about 1.78 million KRW) for accommodation costs during this period.

Promotion of the spring pollen evacuation workation "Tropical Escape" conducted by the Japanese startup "Isaac." The slogan reads "Goodbye, Hay Fever," and it states that up to 200,000 yen will be supported. (Photo by Isaac)

Employee feedback has been positive. Reviews include comments like, "My work performance improved after going to Okinawa when I was suffering from headaches," and "I was able to focus on work during weekdays and achieve the highest contract numbers while sightseeing in pollen-free areas on holidays."

Meanwhile, pollen allergies are also related to the climate crisis. The weather conditions during the summer before flower buds form determine the amount of pollen. The timing of pollen dispersal depends on how warm it is after the winter cold when flowers bloom. Reports indicate that when the maximum temperature in March reaches around 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, pollen levels increase. Due to global warming, the pollen season is tending to start earlier than predicted.