Having lived decades in HK and ripping the benefit of having 6 months of summer every year, can confirm that keeping calm and a steady heartbeat does help stay cool
I lived in Yamanashi at the same time as Paul, but in a different, hotter, and geographically separate section of the prefecture. It took me one year to adjust to the temperatures. My first year was brutal in terms of dealing with both summer and winter because of the rarity of central air and heating. However, the next year was considerably easier. This being said, it was still extremely hot and there was usually about a week in the summer where the temperature still would not break enough at night to provide relief. Like Paul, I also grew up in a climate that got much colder than Yamanashi. It was surprising how hard the winter was, even though the cold was mild compared to the winters I was used to. It helped that I also got better at managing my kerosene heater in my second winter.
Yes, it was tough getting used to being cold INSIDE our school/home, even though outside Yamanashi's winter doesn't compare to Wisconsin. I am a bit surprised that it only took you one year to get used to the heat. Perhaps you need to remake this video and tell us how you did it!
@@Exjapter Perhaps it's because I rarely turned on my air conditioner at home. I did so more toward the end of my tenure in Japan. Even then, I didn't turn it on all the time. One day in my last summer in Japan (my 5th year) I found myself sitting in my house at my computer sweating, yet not horribly uncomfortable despite the 90+(F) heat and intense humidity. I went to the kitchen and proceeded to drink three quarters of a 1.5 liter bottle of Pocari without even feeling it sitting in my stomach. This was a realization that I needed to turn my air on.
Hey Paul, Just wanted to say I really appreciate your vids. Nice relaxed delivery style without the click bait titles found elsewhere. Now a subscriber.
The walk around style sorta forces it to be relaxed, since I want to do as little cutting as possible. (which means I can't have the tight scripts that other youtubers use). Thanks for subscribing!
Forcing yourself to adapt to the prevailing temperatures is definitely the best method I have found. I've been on a fitness/health journey for the last 10 years and stumbled across some research papers about family's in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Russia that have family "Bath Clubs" where they have saunas near freezing rivers. They will all alternate from sauna to cold plunge several times in an afternoon as a family outing. This has all kinds of health benefits, but the best ones are lower blood pressure, better circulation and temperature regulation. I've been simulating this by wearing a full sweat suit at my local gym's sauna for an hour at a time and then going home to my homemade ice plunge for 5 minutes. The days that I can't make it to the gym, I still use the ice plunge (38 deg F). Now in the winter, even when it gets down to 0 deg F, I only need to wear a sweatshirt and never feel the need to wear gloves. In the summer, even when it is 100 deg F, I sweat very little and have no problem working outside all day. In Finland they all say to "start wearing less clothes in the Fall and more in the spring to begin the adjustment"... Love the channel.
Atsui desu ne?! Japanese summer is not for the faint of heart! I remember walking outside in July and watching people literally hiding from direct sunlight by standing in the shadows. Nothing can prepare you for walking outside at 8AM and being drenched in sweat within 5 minutes. I'm also a big fan of the menthol cool wipes. Definitely a lifesaver. Great work as usual. Stay cool out there!
Pro tip - waiting for an express train? Stand in the local train that's sitting there waiting for it, since it's air conditioned and the platform isnt! haha
Thank you for sharing ways of dealing with summer heat in Japan. Regarding the “gauze ninja sleeves”, a reason to wear them is to wick sweat and for sun protection (i.e., cancer, etc.) Some medications increase skin sensitivity to the sun. The sun feels as if it is burning the skin. It is painful. The “gauze ninja sleeves” should be used in the US. There is a potentially large market here for them. Stay cool!😎
Yes, I do understand them as a form of sun protection. I sometimes wonder if I should get some sleeves for my long runs at least. What's funny is the societal resistance to wearing sunglasses here - Japanese are so worried about sun damage to the skin but the same UV rays do the same damage to the eyes.
Hello Paul. Thanks for the interesting video. Another way that I found to keep cool when I lived in Japan, was to eat the cool summer foods, that are commonly available in the hotter months such as zaru soba, somen noodles etc.
Paul strolls in MutsuUra❣️ Atsui desu ne! Peace✌️ One day I want to visit Wisconsin! I think Lake Michigan is beautiful. Laura was born in Wisconsin in the story “Little House on the Prairie”.
Yes, Little House in the Big Woods! I loved those books when I was younger. If you visit Wisconsin, please go to Door County. That's the peninsula that stretches out into the lake. It is one of my favorite places in this world. (^-^)/ Thanks as always for watching and commenting.
I believe most of your remedies to cool in japan are valid. I have lived here for almost five years now and believe me…..the summers can be brutal. Before living here…spent almost my entire life in Hawaii. It gets hot there too but the humidity level isn’t as excruciating as here in Japan. Living in the islands…we had constant trade winds blowing so temperatures there were much more bearable. I look forward to your posts and really feel the connection in many ways since I’m also a gaikokujin
As a florida girl, we have sun rated clothing so I see plenty in full sleeves baggy clothes to proct from the sun. The last time I went with out sun block, I was reminded why I started. You can feel your skin cooking as the clouds pass and you feel the direct sub rays. Current ac is 79 at night and 84 during the day so anything under 89 I can take but above that?
Florida sun is famous. I have only been there twice, but I remember it well.... At least Japan has a winter so we eventually get a break from the heat!
Based on my experience, summers in Singapore and Jakarta are harsher than in Japan (the Tokyo metropolitan area), while Bangkok is more bearable. The topic of air conditioner temperatures is exactly right. But on scorching days, it’s a bit disappointing when you end up in a train car with weak air conditioning (弱冷房車) in Tokyo (lol ) Thank you for excellent insight, but when filming videos, try to walk in the shade as much as possible!
I try, but it's hard! I could find a forested park to walk around, but I don't think that would be as interesting to people who want to see "Japan", i.e. the ordinary streets and people. I have only been to Singapore in February, so haven't experienced the summer, but I did have Singapore people tell me they think the extremes of temperature in Japan can be worse. I personally don't know though.
@@ExjapterI was in Singapore a few times in July/August. It was unbearable. Seriously it’s like sauna outside. 99F w/ 99% humidity. I have a friend who’s Singaporean, he doesn’t go outside. Everyday he goes from his flat to the garage to his car, to his office garage n to his office desk. Then reverse. 😂😂. Taipei is not much better. June July August September- Taipei is unbearable as well.
More good stuff, bro. 1. Arm sleeves, I only use them to cover my tattoos. The short sleeves shirts with this gives me better air flow. Any dudes wearing these just to stay “cool” are nuts 😊 2. There is menthol in the wipes. Why? Because menthol triggers a reaction in your brain that tells you you are cold even if you aren’t. It’s the same trigger that capsaicin taps into to tell your mouth there is something hot in there. It isn’t actually hot, just triggering a kind of false reaction. 3. The trick, often, with the AC that people miss is that many times, when the humidity is high, the AC is counterproductive. You need to get an AC that has a dehumidifier. If you can drop the humidity, it will cool off much more. Especially on rainy-ish days.
Re3: Don't all AC units sorta naturally dry the air anyways? Re2: Does that mean that menthol wipes could be counterproductive? Like how ice water actually cools down your core and makes your body think it needs to heat up, while, counter-intuitively, drinking hot soup makes your body work harder to cool off.
This was great! Completely agree with almost all of this (I am getting into the neck towel thing recently). Also found that summers here got easier after the ten year mark. Made a similar video on the channel: ua-cam.com/video/AsFOdtKeu8s/v-deo.htmlsi=K1lagaL9kyaidNtq
@@Exjapter I love the format. Very clever in cutting down on shooting time while keeping it interesting. Might have to steal it 😆 Enjoy your thoughts, especially as we seem to be in very similar situations (this summer will be my 24th in Japan). Keep em coming!
@@BenShearon thank you. I realized that none of the big Japan UA-camrs do a walk about, preferring instead to stick to full scripts, b-roll or stock footage, voice overs, etc - which of course make for a very tight and orderly videos. I think that type attracts more viewers, to be honest, but I thought there may be an audience out there who is fine with a more relaxed pacing and who actually want to see everyday life just happening as I walk, rather than curated clips. But you hit the nail on the head - the real secret is it really does save a lot of time!
Some useful tips. At the beginning there was a missed chance to explain the difference between uchiwa and sensu. One thing I hope nobody learns is the dreaded mispronunciation: "eck-cetera." Please don't say it like that! Onegaishimasu.
When i was stationed in Okinawa during the Summer, i would literally start sweating walking from my front door to my car, just a few steps away.
I must admit it sometimes makes me angry. I think to myself - why am I a sweaty mess now, just because I walked out to get the mail.
Having lived decades in HK and ripping the benefit of having 6 months of summer every year, can confirm that keeping calm and a steady heartbeat does help stay cool
毎回観るだびに日本人として勉強になります。毎回楽しみにしてます。忙しいでしょうがUA-camもこのまま頑張って続けて下さいね。Thumbs up 👍
コメントありがとうございます。UA-camは趣味ですが続けていきます。よろしくお願いします。
Yes, I don't see people using handheld fans recently.
But actually I always carry a handheld fan in my bag.
Small, light and conveinient
I wish to go to Canada or the UK in the summer. 😂😂
I lived in Yamanashi at the same time as Paul, but in a different, hotter, and geographically separate section of the prefecture. It took me one year to adjust to the temperatures. My first year was brutal in terms of dealing with both summer and winter because of the rarity of central air and heating. However, the next year was considerably easier. This being said, it was still extremely hot and there was usually about a week in the summer where the temperature still would not break enough at night to provide relief.
Like Paul, I also grew up in a climate that got much colder than Yamanashi. It was surprising how hard the winter was, even though the cold was mild compared to the winters I was used to. It helped that I also got better at managing my kerosene heater in my second winter.
Yes, it was tough getting used to being cold INSIDE our school/home, even though outside Yamanashi's winter doesn't compare to Wisconsin. I am a bit surprised that it only took you one year to get used to the heat. Perhaps you need to remake this video and tell us how you did it!
@@Exjapter Perhaps it's because I rarely turned on my air conditioner at home. I did so more toward the end of my tenure in Japan. Even then, I didn't turn it on all the time.
One day in my last summer in Japan (my 5th year) I found myself sitting in my house at my computer sweating, yet not horribly uncomfortable despite the 90+(F) heat and intense humidity. I went to the kitchen and proceeded to drink three quarters of a 1.5 liter bottle of Pocari without even feeling it sitting in my stomach. This was a realization that I needed to turn my air on.
I have lived in Taiwan my entire life. Summer here in Taiwan is as hot as in Japan, but I still can't get used to it.
Yes, Taiwan weather is no joke. I think "get used to it" is relative thing - it never becomes "comfortable".
Hey Paul, Just wanted to say I really appreciate your vids. Nice relaxed delivery style without the click bait titles found elsewhere. Now a subscriber.
The walk around style sorta forces it to be relaxed, since I want to do as little cutting as possible. (which means I can't have the tight scripts that other youtubers use). Thanks for subscribing!
Thanks for the video. Learned my first Japanese phrase. I'll have to visit Japan in the Summer to show it off.
By all means. Japan isn't a big "small talk" country, but atsui desu ne is ubiquitous and you'll totally fit in using it.
Forcing yourself to adapt to the prevailing temperatures is definitely the best method I have found. I've been on a fitness/health journey for the last 10 years and stumbled across some research papers about family's in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Russia that have family "Bath Clubs" where they have saunas near freezing rivers. They will all alternate from sauna to cold plunge several times in an afternoon as a family outing. This has all kinds of health benefits, but the best ones are lower blood pressure, better circulation and temperature regulation.
I've been simulating this by wearing a full sweat suit at my local gym's sauna for an hour at a time and then going home to my homemade ice plunge for 5 minutes. The days that I can't make it to the gym, I still use the ice plunge (38 deg F). Now in the winter, even when it gets down to 0 deg F, I only need to wear a sweatshirt and never feel the need to wear gloves. In the summer, even when it is 100 deg F, I sweat very little and have no problem working outside all day.
In Finland they all say to "start wearing less clothes in the Fall and more in the spring to begin the adjustment"...
Love the channel.
Atsui desu ne?! Japanese summer is not for the faint of heart! I remember walking outside in July and watching people literally hiding from direct sunlight by standing in the shadows. Nothing can prepare you for walking outside at 8AM and being drenched in sweat within 5 minutes. I'm also a big fan of the menthol cool wipes. Definitely a lifesaver. Great work as usual. Stay cool out there!
Pro tip - waiting for an express train? Stand in the local train that's sitting there waiting for it, since it's air conditioned and the platform isnt! haha
Yokohama summers sound like summers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I worked for about four years a few decades ago. Thanks for the tips!
it's 30° here in Toronto and that can make it hard to sleep can't imagine how bad it is in Japan now
How's the humidity?
Thank you for sharing ways of dealing with summer heat in Japan. Regarding the “gauze ninja sleeves”, a reason to wear them is to wick sweat and for sun protection (i.e., cancer, etc.) Some medications increase skin sensitivity to the sun. The sun feels as if it is burning the skin. It is painful. The “gauze ninja sleeves” should be used in the US. There is a potentially large market here for them. Stay cool!😎
Yes, I do understand them as a form of sun protection. I sometimes wonder if I should get some sleeves for my long runs at least. What's funny is the societal resistance to wearing sunglasses here - Japanese are so worried about sun damage to the skin but the same UV rays do the same damage to the eyes.
Sleeves will protect arms from sunburns. What to do with neck? Also a vulnerable area under the sun.
Hello Paul. Thanks for the interesting video. Another way that I found to keep cool when I lived in Japan, was to eat the cool summer foods, that are commonly available in the hotter months such as zaru soba, somen noodles etc.
Watermelon and iced cucumbers!
Paul strolls in MutsuUra❣️
Atsui desu ne! Peace✌️
One day I want to visit Wisconsin! I think Lake Michigan is beautiful. Laura was born in Wisconsin in the story “Little House on the Prairie”.
Yes, Little House in the Big Woods! I loved those books when I was younger. If you visit Wisconsin, please go to Door County. That's the peninsula that stretches out into the lake. It is one of my favorite places in this world. (^-^)/ Thanks as always for watching and commenting.
I believe most of your remedies to cool in japan are valid. I have lived here for almost five years now and believe me…..the summers can be brutal. Before living here…spent almost my entire life in Hawaii. It gets hot there too but the humidity level isn’t as excruciating as here in Japan. Living in the islands…we had constant trade winds blowing so temperatures there were much more bearable. I look forward to your posts and really feel the connection in many ways since I’m also a gaikokujin
I have been to Hawaii, and those trade winds are indeed a treasure. Thanks for watching!
As a florida girl, we have sun rated clothing so I see plenty in full sleeves baggy clothes to proct from the sun. The last time I went with out sun block, I was reminded why I started. You can feel your skin cooking as the clouds pass and you feel the direct sub rays. Current ac is 79 at night and 84 during the day so anything under 89 I can take but above that?
Florida sun is famous. I have only been there twice, but I remember it well.... At least Japan has a winter so we eventually get a break from the heat!
Based on my experience, summers in Singapore and Jakarta are harsher than in Japan (the Tokyo metropolitan area), while Bangkok is more bearable.
The topic of air conditioner temperatures is exactly right.
But on scorching days, it’s a bit disappointing when you end up in a train car with weak air conditioning (弱冷房車) in Tokyo (lol )
Thank you for excellent insight, but when filming videos, try to walk in the shade as much as possible!
I try, but it's hard! I could find a forested park to walk around, but I don't think that would be as interesting to people who want to see "Japan", i.e. the ordinary streets and people.
I have only been to Singapore in February, so haven't experienced the summer, but I did have Singapore people tell me they think the extremes of temperature in Japan can be worse. I personally don't know though.
@@ExjapterI was in Singapore a few times in July/August. It was unbearable. Seriously it’s like sauna outside. 99F w/ 99% humidity. I have a friend who’s Singaporean, he doesn’t go outside. Everyday he goes from his flat to the garage to his car, to his office garage n to his office desk. Then reverse. 😂😂. Taipei is not much better. June July August September- Taipei is unbearable as well.
More good stuff, bro.
1. Arm sleeves, I only use them to cover my tattoos. The short sleeves shirts with this gives me better air flow. Any dudes wearing these just to stay “cool” are nuts 😊
2. There is menthol in the wipes. Why? Because menthol triggers a reaction in your brain that tells you you are cold even if you aren’t. It’s the same trigger that capsaicin taps into to tell your mouth there is something hot in there. It isn’t actually hot, just triggering a kind of false reaction.
3. The trick, often, with the AC that people miss is that many times, when the humidity is high, the AC is counterproductive. You need to get an AC that has a dehumidifier. If you can drop the humidity, it will cool off much more. Especially on rainy-ish days.
Re3: Don't all AC units sorta naturally dry the air anyways?
Re2: Does that mean that menthol wipes could be counterproductive? Like how ice water actually cools down your core and makes your body think it needs to heat up, while, counter-intuitively, drinking hot soup makes your body work harder to cool off.
This was great! Completely agree with almost all of this (I am getting into the neck towel thing recently).
Also found that summers here got easier after the ten year mark.
Made a similar video on the channel: ua-cam.com/video/AsFOdtKeu8s/v-deo.htmlsi=K1lagaL9kyaidNtq
I didn't know you watched the channel, thank you! I am subscribed to yours, but I didn't know you had a summer heat video. I will check it out.
@@Exjapter I love the format. Very clever in cutting down on shooting time while keeping it interesting. Might have to steal it 😆
Enjoy your thoughts, especially as we seem to be in very similar situations (this summer will be my 24th in Japan).
Keep em coming!
@@BenShearon thank you. I realized that none of the big Japan UA-camrs do a walk about, preferring instead to stick to full scripts, b-roll or stock footage, voice overs, etc - which of course make for a very tight and orderly videos. I think that type attracts more viewers, to be honest, but I thought there may be an audience out there who is fine with a more relaxed pacing and who actually want to see everyday life just happening as I walk, rather than curated clips.
But you hit the nail on the head - the real secret is it really does save a lot of time!
Some useful tips. At the beginning there was a missed chance to explain the difference between uchiwa and sensu. One thing I hope nobody learns is the dreaded mispronunciation: "eck-cetera." Please don't say it like that! Onegaishimasu.
Sounds like someone needs an ex-presso. 😉