Spring in Japan

Spring in Japan can be nice and uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable because it's "hay-fever season" here.
Many people suffer from cedar and cypress pollen allergy here.

After World War 2, Japan started to replant their forests to rebuild the country and their economy. Cedar and cypress trees where chosen for their speed in growth and their usefulness. So when the first batch of planted trees grew to their full height in the early 1960's, they started to release their pollen and that's when "cedar pollen allergy" started in Japan. Since then, many people have developed hay-fever and suffer from it from February to April or May.

I for one, coming from Canada, didn't have such an allergy but after living here for over 10 years, I finally succumbed to it and started to have an allergic reaction to the pollen from about three years ago... I seem to be more allergic to cypress than cedar though.

But what I am allergic to, even when in Canada, are flowers...
And a variety of them bloom during this season in Japan.
To start with, plum blossoms, then peach blossoms, and then cherry blossoms. Also, camellias, peonies, daffodils, daisies, pansies, to name a few... All beautiful to look at but deadly for me...


So honestly speaking, I don't like Spring in Japan...
I have to take allergy pills almost every day... 

In the Fall, I have hay-fever again which is caused by ragweed and rice husk...

So twice a year I suffer...
Plus I have certain food allergies too...
Sucks...

Well, it's April now and the tree pollen allergy season is almost over. The cherry blossoms have almost all fallen so my allergies are calming down. The fleeting moments of Spring in Japan...

Next, a month or two of mild weather and then comes the Rainy Season...
Blah....
Then the hot and humid summer... 

Let's take things one step at a time, eh?! Lol!!