Jet Programme Series: Java in Japan: Surviving the Japanese Summer - Neelam Ramkaran
2023/12/21
Coming from the Caribbean, whenever someone complained about summer in Japan, I would laugh and make joking quips about how nothing could compare with growing up in the Caribbean heat.
Well boy.
Never in my life have I felt as hot and sticky and stinky as I do during summer in Japan. These are just a few anecdotes of my summer escapades.
Obviously, summer means the beach. My mistake was not checking the temperatures before heading out. My friends and I arrived and immediately we knew that we would not be prepared for the heat. The sand immediately scorched the soles of our feet, and we were forced to wear slippers while walking, before setting up tarps to sit (those also heat up very quickly). Occasionally we would escape into the blue waters, but otherwise we remained trapped under umbrellas. It was during a moment of shielding from the sun that an announcement echoed across the beach: a heat stroke warning. My friends and I stared dumbfoundedly at each other, but what would we do? We were already at the beach. Between the icy kakegori, and refrigerated drinks from the nearby conbini, we made the most of the day. We reminded each other to reapply sunscreen and stay hydrated in between raucous laughter and jokes. We may not have played volleyball or badminton as initially planned, but we finished the day with no faintings or sunburns.
Our next story takes us to one of the most popular music festivals in Japan, Summer Sonic. My friends and I had been excited for this event for months. We had convinced ourselves that we were amply prepared for the heat, but alas, we were not. Within an hour of the event, our makeup was gone. We reapplied sunscreen only for it to be sweat off within minutes. During that day, I think I easily drank 7 or 8 bottles of water and sports drinks to keep myself hydrated through the hot and humid conditions. After seeing many other patrons (who were clearly more seasoned than I was) with towels, I was compelled to get one from the merch stand myself. After the first act played, I was genuinely convinced that that was the day I would have a heat stroke. But after some overpriced festival food and a moment to sit in some shade, we rallied ourselves to push through and see the acts we came to see. My personal lineup of choice included Atarashii Gakkou, Willow, Queen Bee, Evanescence and Babymetal. This was my first music festival of this kind, and it did not disappoint. Every single act went all out, treating their sets, no matter how long or short, like it was their own concert. Even though I felt like I was near death, it was such a well done event that I’m actually planning on returning next year (of course with better preparation for the heat).
If that scared you a bit, let’s go to a more wholesome story: Bon Odori at Kobe Harborland. Bon Odori is the peak event of Japanese summer. It’s a summer festival with many booths selling different foods, drinks and games, with the main attraction being the coordinated dance routines around the main stage where everyone can join in. Although it was a warm day, the adrenaline and energy of the crowd made it easy to jump in and dance for an hour straight. Even when I would stop with the intention of taking a break, very soon I would find myself being pulled in by a recognizable song. It’s also such a popular event, that I saw many faces that I hadn’t seen in a while, and I even met some new people. Bon Odori is definitely a must try in Japan during summer.
Our last story has a little bit of a twist. As regulars to Universal Studios Japan, we know all the tricks of escaping the summer heat at the park. We interspersed our day with indoor rides, trips to different stores, shows at indoor theatres, and topped up our water at regular intervals. Seems perfect right? Then during the evening, within seconds the weather went from bright and sunny to stormy. Now would be a good time to mention that summer also marks the start of the rainy season in Japan. So there we were, stuck inside a crowded store with rain, wind, thunder and lightning raging outside. After about 15 minutes, we realized that this couldn’t be “waited out”, so we made probably the dumbest decision ever. Very near to the entrance of the park is an area where everything is completely covered, and we figured that if we ran, we could easily get there in a minute. Not too bad. The only thing was, this was the heaviest rain I’d ever seen in my life. The wind made it that using an umbrella was impossible, and it made the rain go almost horizontal. And with flooded streets, our shoes were soaked. We did get to the shaded area, but the only thing we could do while waiting for the rain to stop was to dry off as much as possible. Definitely an amazing day, just with a very unexpected ending.
All of this is to say, you can never be too prepared for summer in Japan. Wear your sunscreen, drink your Pocari Sweat and always have a fan and a hand towel on hand.
.
.
.
For more adventures and advice about Japan, you can follow Neelam on Instagram and TikTok: @nekoneelz
Neelam is also a Kobe PR Ambassador. Follow them on Instagram (@kobe_pra) and Facebook (Kobe PRA)
JET Series: Java in Japan: Surviving the Japanese Summer (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives
Well boy.
Never in my life have I felt as hot and sticky and stinky as I do during summer in Japan. These are just a few anecdotes of my summer escapades.
Obviously, summer means the beach. My mistake was not checking the temperatures before heading out. My friends and I arrived and immediately we knew that we would not be prepared for the heat. The sand immediately scorched the soles of our feet, and we were forced to wear slippers while walking, before setting up tarps to sit (those also heat up very quickly). Occasionally we would escape into the blue waters, but otherwise we remained trapped under umbrellas. It was during a moment of shielding from the sun that an announcement echoed across the beach: a heat stroke warning. My friends and I stared dumbfoundedly at each other, but what would we do? We were already at the beach. Between the icy kakegori, and refrigerated drinks from the nearby conbini, we made the most of the day. We reminded each other to reapply sunscreen and stay hydrated in between raucous laughter and jokes. We may not have played volleyball or badminton as initially planned, but we finished the day with no faintings or sunburns.
Our next story takes us to one of the most popular music festivals in Japan, Summer Sonic. My friends and I had been excited for this event for months. We had convinced ourselves that we were amply prepared for the heat, but alas, we were not. Within an hour of the event, our makeup was gone. We reapplied sunscreen only for it to be sweat off within minutes. During that day, I think I easily drank 7 or 8 bottles of water and sports drinks to keep myself hydrated through the hot and humid conditions. After seeing many other patrons (who were clearly more seasoned than I was) with towels, I was compelled to get one from the merch stand myself. After the first act played, I was genuinely convinced that that was the day I would have a heat stroke. But after some overpriced festival food and a moment to sit in some shade, we rallied ourselves to push through and see the acts we came to see. My personal lineup of choice included Atarashii Gakkou, Willow, Queen Bee, Evanescence and Babymetal. This was my first music festival of this kind, and it did not disappoint. Every single act went all out, treating their sets, no matter how long or short, like it was their own concert. Even though I felt like I was near death, it was such a well done event that I’m actually planning on returning next year (of course with better preparation for the heat).
If that scared you a bit, let’s go to a more wholesome story: Bon Odori at Kobe Harborland. Bon Odori is the peak event of Japanese summer. It’s a summer festival with many booths selling different foods, drinks and games, with the main attraction being the coordinated dance routines around the main stage where everyone can join in. Although it was a warm day, the adrenaline and energy of the crowd made it easy to jump in and dance for an hour straight. Even when I would stop with the intention of taking a break, very soon I would find myself being pulled in by a recognizable song. It’s also such a popular event, that I saw many faces that I hadn’t seen in a while, and I even met some new people. Bon Odori is definitely a must try in Japan during summer.
Our last story has a little bit of a twist. As regulars to Universal Studios Japan, we know all the tricks of escaping the summer heat at the park. We interspersed our day with indoor rides, trips to different stores, shows at indoor theatres, and topped up our water at regular intervals. Seems perfect right? Then during the evening, within seconds the weather went from bright and sunny to stormy. Now would be a good time to mention that summer also marks the start of the rainy season in Japan. So there we were, stuck inside a crowded store with rain, wind, thunder and lightning raging outside. After about 15 minutes, we realized that this couldn’t be “waited out”, so we made probably the dumbest decision ever. Very near to the entrance of the park is an area where everything is completely covered, and we figured that if we ran, we could easily get there in a minute. Not too bad. The only thing was, this was the heaviest rain I’d ever seen in my life. The wind made it that using an umbrella was impossible, and it made the rain go almost horizontal. And with flooded streets, our shoes were soaked. We did get to the shaded area, but the only thing we could do while waiting for the rain to stop was to dry off as much as possible. Definitely an amazing day, just with a very unexpected ending.
All of this is to say, you can never be too prepared for summer in Japan. Wear your sunscreen, drink your Pocari Sweat and always have a fan and a hand towel on hand.
.
.
.
For more adventures and advice about Japan, you can follow Neelam on Instagram and TikTok: @nekoneelz
Neelam is also a Kobe PR Ambassador. Follow them on Instagram (@kobe_pra) and Facebook (Kobe PRA)
JET Series: Java in Japan: Surviving the Japanese Summer (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives