Right now it’s extremely windy in Japan, with strong gusts fierce enough to rock our house and make us think we’re having an earthquake. It’s known as haru ichiban or the First Wind of Spring, and it acts as a sort of herald for the end of winter here in Japan. While I’m all for saying goodbye to cold weather, the strong winds in the spring aren’t always welcome because they also bring massive waves of pollen which cause suffering for the 30% of Japan’s population with allergies. The reason hay fever is so bad in Japan goes back to the postwar years when the Japanese government, wanting to streamline its forestry industry, decided to standardize on sugi (Japanese cedar) for the vast majority of its trees. When they all start pollinating at the same time it overwhelms the immunities of poor Japanese, who are unable to do anything but put on one of those health masks and suffer until the air clears.
Haru ichiban winds bring spring, but also pollen.
