Japan’s Unique Ways to Stay Cool
Novel and traditional ways Japanese survive tropical summers
Typical Japanese summers begin with a month-long rainy season (monsoon) in June (the timing depends on the region) which is followed by two months of muggy, humid weather.
This year is no different other than Japan is experiencing a heat wave with record breaking temperatures. Still people preserve here and yet it is not uncommon to see professionals dressed in suits, students in uniforms, and others enjoying the summer months despite this uncomfortable weather. However, one might wonder how they manage to stay cool in such conditions.
The answer is Japan has some amazingly innovative ways to beat the heat not only for those who are working but also for those who want to have fun!
Cool Biz
This was originally a government promotion to encourage energy conservation but was so successful that even clothing stores such as Uniqlo have made their own line of clothing as seen below.
Basically, employees are allowed to ditch their jackets and ties and even wear short sleeve shirts to keep cool for the purpose of contributing to energy conservation.
While this doesn’t have much of an effect on students, they do have summer uniforms which are intended to be cooler.
“Cool” Products ranging from clothes to bed linens
Two of the most well-known brands of these products are Uniqlo and Nitori. Uniqlo is famous for its “Airism” brand made from a breathable material they developed which keeps moisture and heat away from the skin. The clothing design itself is simple but fashionable. You can find some of their products here:
Next is Nitori who also has a line of “cool” clothing but is more known for its “cool” linens for beds and futons. They even have some interior products such as cushions and carpets as well for staying cool. They have 3 levels of “cool” you can choose from. You can check out their products here:
Cool Sheets and Sprays
There are various brands of these, one of the most popular of which is Biore. You can buy “cool wet sheets” which are literally cool to the touch and have a tingly feeling when you apply them! There are also sprays that do the same thing to help you cool down for both your skin and clothes. You can check out some of these products here.
Fun and Traditional Ways to Keep Cool
Fans
One of the most traditional ways to cool off in Japan are to use uchiwa (handheld fans) and sensu (folding fans). Many people still use them and these days there are many beautiful colors and designs from traditional all the way to characters such as Hello Kitty!
The folks from Ibasen Shop explain that there are essentially two types of fans:
- Kyo or Kyoto style: hand-painted and were mostly used by court nobles and aristocrats
- Edo style: the designs were obsessed with lucky patterns.
One other important aspect is the choice of bamboo for the spine. You can learn more about how they’re made here:
However, despite the popularity of traditional uchiwa and sensu fans, some people are also using portable handheld electric fans that run on batteries.
Yukata and Jinbei 浴衣・甚平
Yukata were originally designed to be worn at night or after a bath and it is perfectly acceptable to wear outside. It’s much more casual than a kimono in that there are usually no under layers of kimono or undergarments. However, light underwear is also available for yukata.
Men, women and kids can all wear yukata. It’s very common for people to wear yukata in the summer to festivals, to see firework displays, for flower viewing, and simply just going out on the town.
There are also jinbei, which are more commonly worn by men and kids, but women can wear them as well. Jinbei are two pieces, a top and bottom, in which the top resembles a kimono. They’re made from traditional hemp or cotton and sewn together loosely to allow for ventilation.
Jinbei are also considered night clothes or lounge wear and usually aren’t worn outside the house except for short errands. However, they can be substituted for yukata for summer events.
Nagashi Sōmen and Cold Noodles
Sōmen has been around in Japan since the eighth century. However the practice of “flowing noodles” was created in 1959 by a restaurant called House of Chiho in Takachiho for the purpose of prospering from local pure spring water.
These days you can even buy nagashi sōmen machines for home use which range from the whole bamboo setup to others that just float the noodles around in a circle.
How it works is sōmen flows down a hollowed out piece of bamboo that has been cut in half. Usually, toppings are added to the noodles such as fish, small pieces of tempura, or anything you like! Even sweets are sometimes added for kids!
You can see an example of nagashi sōmen here at Hirobun Restaurant in Kyoto.
京都貴船 料理旅館ひろ文
京都でぼたん鍋なら貴船ひろ文へ。天然の猪肉を使い囲炉裏を囲んで特注の炭で炊くぼたん鍋は絶品！夏は川床で川魚料理や会席料理流しそうめんをお楽しみ下さい。
hirobun.co.jp
Other popular Japanese cold noodle dishes in the summer include Zara-udon, hiyashi chuka (cold sōmen with cucumber, egg, tomato, and cold pork in a cold dashi-based soup), and reimen (cold ramen with much the same toppings and soup based as hiyashi chuka).
Kakigori
Kakigori is traditionally shaved ice with flavored syrup, but brings a whole new meaning to Sno Cone, as it’s called in America!
These days various cafes and shops have creatively taken this classic summer sweet to new levels by introducing other ingredients such as whipped cream, candy, and even parfait styles.
Seasonal Alcohol
Each of the main brand alcohol companies, namely Asahi, Suntory, and Kirin, have limited seasonal alcohols including beer, Chu-hai (cocktails) and nihon-shu (rice wine) to name a few. You can often see their commercials on TV that promote the feeling of being cooler when you drink them! You can check some of them out here:
Of course it would be difficult to cover all the various summer products here in Japan, but these are some of the most unique and popular.
