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JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Much of Japan tends to be hot in the summer, even many of the northern parts. But even if it's not so hot you're not so likely to escape the humidity. These are probably good tips to know in any event.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

How to cope with the heat - make sure that your apartment has windows on two sides, so that you can catch a breeze.

Hang sudare outside on your patio/balcony to provide some shade.

Use a circulating fan instead of AC if you can help it. A fan's cheaper than using AC, plus when you go outside, you're less socked by the temperature difference.

Always wear a thin layer under a shirt to soak up sweat. Wear dark things if you can.

Put your undies, stockings, in the freezer. Changing into freezing undershirts is a fleeting relief from the heat.

Keep your hair short. I have a kind of pixie cut.

Frozen bananas make a great snack.

Drink lots of lemon water. Tea has a lot of cafeine, and Pocari sweat and the like have lots of sugar.

Cold coffee with a dolop of ice cream in it is awesome.

Best advice - get the heck out on your summer holiday and go somewhere nice.

Synne · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 269 Location: Tohoku

No underwear beats frozen underwhere Liz. Cool

MrCAPiTUL · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 232 Location: Taipei, Taiwan

I have to agree - frozen underroos are the shizznittle bam dittle!
Honestly, though, I can't imaging any place being much worse than Gainesville, FL. We lived in the middle of a swamp. . . . in Florida. . . no coastal breeze to cool you off. . . . god it was horrible. NY summers can be brutal, too, when you get those heatwaves. NY is a den of humidity. Pretty nasty, I might say - though, not as bad as Gainesville.

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

One thing to avoid is buildings that have air conditioners that blast the hot air onto the street. I had to walk past one every single day on the way to work and they're like twice as hot as the normal air.

Don't wear a jacket if you don't have to.

Try to get out of Tokyo as much as possible. In August last year I went to Mt Fuji and I was amazed to find out that once you get out of the plains and into the mountainous area it wasn't humid at all.

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

A couple of tips to surviving the summer.

1. Get out the cities as often as possible. A quick trip out will see the humidity level drop to a very pleasent level.

2. Iced noodles are more cooling than ice-cream.

Apart from that I found I had to drink loads of iced green tea top soothe my throat after being blasted by grotty air-cons all summer.