Job Discussion Forums

[G Cthulhu]

[elkarlo]

[yamahuh]

[flyer]

most Japanese wouldn't like the English weather either

no real summers etc

[jgmodlin]

I agree with many others here in saying that if climate is important to you, and you really don't like heat and humidity, you shouldn't consider moving to Japan. I am from the deep south of the USA where it gets pretty darn hot and sticky, but Tokyo and Osaka take it to another level. The combination of concrete trapping in the heat at night and the proximity to water make for a sauna that has to be felt to be believed.

In addition, unlike the USA where I can go directly from an air-conditioned office into an air-conditioned car, in big Japanese cities you will be walking many blocks along baking streets to a subway station. When you finally get on the subway it will often as not be warmer than most westerners would like. Not to mention the Japanese building you finally arrive in will have the thermostat set on 27 degrees.

I literally had to powder my body daily during the summer to avoid prickly heat while living in Japan. The only saving grace, the summers are shorter than where I grew up in Florida. Three months instead of the five or six that much of Florida experiences. Not to bash Brits in any way, but I did sense that they suffered in the heat more than the North Americans and Aussie/Kiwis did.

[yamahuh]

Well, I'm British born and raised and I've got to say as a 'red-haired' kid the heat and humidity in China where I first was drove me crazy... I was changing my shirt 2 X per day. Southern China is stupid hot but Taiwan is pretty close ... summers are steamy and today (Dec 12th) was 81F so you can imagine what summer heat and humidity is like.

Littlebird - find somewhere more in line with your tolerance / comfort levels. You sound very much like someone who is not very willing or able to accept a lifestyle too different from what you are already used to.
You will not be happy in Asia.

[Asher]

Tokyo in July is like swimming through the air. Texas gets hotter, but they have us beat on humidity. I found November to be quite pleasant, with the exception of the overheated stations. But you adapt and eventually get acclimated. A friend of mine is originally from Chester and now he complains more now than I do (native Texan) when it drops below 50 degrees in winter.

I'd prepare for the weather, but wouldn't worry about it. Bring plenty of good deodorant for the summertime and your favorite lip balm and moisturizer for the wintertime.

[Littlebird]

But isn't there high humidity throughout Asia ? So does that mean I can't go anywhere in the continent ? Mmm Great !

[Littlebird]

Ah Ha !!!!!!

This is what I was looking for : http://www.bodycooler.com/cooling-head-multiple-sclerosis-products.htm

Now don't all laugh together !! It may not work of course.

Cheap enough to try. American company. Perhaps invented by someone made of steel from Minnesota or North Dakota or somewhere hot.

[Apsara]

[Glenski]

[Angelfish]

You might actually like Hokkaido. It gets pretty cold in Winter, but it's a proper "dry" cold. There's lots of snow, very beautiful, good for skiing and snowboarding (Hokkaido claims to have the best powder in Japan). Whereas England has more of a "wet" cold. Even though the temperature drops to nowhere near like Hokkaido's, I have felt much colder in England than I have ever felt in Hokkaido (lived there a year and half). And you don't have to wear fake furs, just make sure you have lots of layers, a good coat and some decent socks and snow boots. You'll be fine. English winters suck.

The summer is fantastic. It's what I would call and Englishman's dream summer. Hot (by our standards), sunny and not too humid at all. There was only one really bad day I remember in Sapporo where I was dripping from the humidity, but the cities are always going to be worse than the countryside.

Good luck!

[Zzonkmiles]

Why not try Sendai? It's in the northeastern part of Honshu and is far enough north to escape MOST of the humidity and far enough south to not get totally blasted by the snow. It has about 1 million people and is the largest city between Sapporo and the Tokyo/Yokohama/Chiba megalopolis.

I'm from the Southeastern US, where long, humid summers are common. Japanese summers were very similar, although the main difference was that summers in Japan had higher low temperatures and a little more humidity. Like another poster said, central air conditioning only exists in office buildings, not private apartments. So that can make things very uncomfortable. On top of that, you will spend a lot of time walking around outside to the station and riding your bike, often with your business suit on as you go to work. Bring lots of deodorant!

[markle]

Sometimes its not the heat but the stupidity.......

[Glenski]