Spring has sprung. With it comes cherry blossoms, people walking places and a general sense that the frigid part of the year is finally over. It is also the time of the year in which nature renews another season of life. This is very true in the botanical space. Although it does reek havoc on the general population.

Pollen is the number one factor in Japanese society that seems to really take its shot at the general public. I can say that I have been fortunate to have never been a victim of Hay Fever, It doesn’t look fun at all. Watery, itchy eyes, runny nose, difficulty breathing, it is just not a pleasant thing to be a victim of. Despite my fortune in this space, I live with a woman who is taken down for the count every spring. Endless sniffing and snorting topped off by either a grunt or moan.

This is just my personal view of the situation right now given the crisis that fell upon the household this past week. You see because we are two working individuals who have very little time after working 12~14 hours a day, we needed to hire a house cleaner who comes in once a week to do the basics. This past Thursday, the lady came by on a very beautiful spring day. Following normal protocol for such weather in Japan, you usually take the various bedding outside and hang it in the sun to let it air out and basically kill off any little mites that may be hiding out in the depths of the fibers. This was NOT a good idea. The reason being, is that it is that time of the year when tons of pollen is flying about the city and country side of Japan. You see the Mrs. is highly susceptible to pollen, call it hay fever if you will, but in Japan it is known simply by it’s effect as kafun-sho. The past few days have been about identifying the reaction level of the Mrs. then stripping the linen, bedding, pillows whatever, down and tossing them in the washer. This is my personal tale.

However, a simple trip out into the general public is both equally horrifying as well as quite funny. You see the common tool in the battle against what is referred to as kafun-sho, i s a simple white surgical mask. They are everywhere. Young, old and everyone in between. It seems like a bad western where the population of the medical community are out robbing individuals on the streets. However, as with any downside to a situation, the Japanese have found a way to scrape for profits. It seems as if every pharmaceutical company in this country has targeted the populations misfortune as an opportunity to increase revenue.

I am not referring to the cost of various allergy medication, no the return on investment in an effort to beat this thing once and for all is just not in the best interest of the bottom line. This is they way that most western cultures handle the situation. He who finds the cure rules the world. In Japan it seems to be more about profiting from making the situation bearable without actually addressing the root cause. Now I am not saying that it isn’t happening with Japanese pharmaceutical companies, but just that the majority of them are looking at the annual recurring spend by the population on a simple white mask.

For anyone who thinks of a surgical mask you generally think about that which is worn on some TV show that highlights the life of a hospital staff. Or better yet a cheezy soap opera centered around a hospital. Here it is much more than that. There are options. Simple two elastic banded (for behind the ears) cotton version, more ergonomically designed one piece filter material masks that cup from below your chin to the bridge of your nose, and the types go on and on.

I suppose that in the long run it is more profitable to allow the public to suffer from killer sniffles every year if you can ensure yourself a decent revenue stream in the spring. After all, unless one comes up with the ultimate solution to this problem, you can always be guaranteed that people will be flocking to the local drug store to check out the latest in hi-tech anti-pollen, personal filtration masks. After all, that is what they are, aren’t they?

As for me, I will continue to knock on wood and pray that I never fall victim to this horrible epidemic. I am making light of the situation, but I will close on a serious note by saying that over the next few weeks, I will probably have to begin to sweep the drifts of yellow pollen off of my balcony or else the Mrs. will never be able to open the windows come summer time.