Hay Fever and Cedar Pollen in Japan: What Foreigners Need to Know (2025)
If you’ve never had hay fever in your home country, Japan may change that. Japan’s cedar pollen (sugi kafunsho — スギ花粉症) season is one of the worst in the world. About 30–40% of Japan’s population suffers from it, and many foreigners develop symptoms after living here for 1–3 years. Japan’s Pollen Calendar Month Pollen Type Severity February Cedar (スギ) begins Moderate March Cedar peak + Cypress (ヒノキ) starts Very high April Cypress peak Very high May Grass pollen Moderate June–January Minimal pollen Low The worst months are March and April. In bad years, pollen counts can be 10x higher than usual. ...