[English／日本語] August has arrived and the weather has been hot, with temperatures hitting 30 degrees Celsius every day. In this article, I would like to introduce the climate and natural phenomena of Japan. Are you surprised only at first? Earthquakes Japan is famous for its earthquakes, and the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, with a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale, caused tremendous damage. Although the Great East Japan Earthquake was a large-scale quake, smaller earthquakes occur about 15 times a year in Tokyo. Therefore, some international students panic when they feel an earthquake for the first time after coming to Japan, but after experiencing it a few times they get used to it and stop worrying. Is that a good thing? You never know when a big earthquake will strike. Don’t think this will just be a small quake; be ready to evacuate at any time. Students with abdominal pain in June Beware of the rainy season! Summer in Japan is not only hot but also very humid and uncomfortable. June is especially the rainy season. During this time humidity rises and food spoils more easily. I have heard many stories of international students getting food poisoning after eating ingredients they stored in their rooms as they did back home. Keep food refrigerated whenever possible and observe expiration dates. Many people get hooked on kotatsu, a winter specialty. Winters in Japan are cold. In snowy regions houses are built for winter and stay warm, but Tokyo is not like that. That’s where the kotatsu comes in. Have you heard of a kotatsu? It’s a table with a heater. Many international students become hooked on the kotatsu. It’s warm and covered with a futon, so it’s common to hear stories of people falling asleep doing homework under it. If you come to Japan, try it at least once. You may never want to leave the kotatsu. Onset from the second year! Hay fever Many people suddenly develop hay fever in their second year studying in Japan. Around mid-January cedar pollen begins to spread across the country. Many suffer from hay fever because of this pollen, and once you develop it you won’t get rid of it without special treatment. It’s said that one in four Japanese people suffer from hay fever. The main symptoms are sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes. If you develop hay fever in Japan, visit a clinic and get medication. Did you all understand the climate and natural phenomena of Japan? Our school holds a disaster drill once a year. During this drill we receive guidance from the local fire department so we can evacuate calmly in case of a major earthquake. Our school supports students so they can live in the dormitory with peace of mind. We look forward to your enrollment. August has arrived, and hot days above 30 degrees Celsius continue every day. This time I will introduce Japan’s climate and natural phenomena. Surprised only at first? Earthquakes Japan is famous for frequent earthquakes. The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, with a magnitude of 9.0, brought tremendous damage. While that quake was very large, smaller quakes happen about 15 times a year in Tokyo. For that reason, some international students panic the first time they feel an earthquake after arriving in Japan, but after experiencing several they get used to it and stop worrying. Is that a good thing? You never know when a major quake will occur. Rather than thinking, “Oh, it’s just a small quake,” prepare so you can escape at any time. Students who get stomachaches in June Beware the rainy season! Japan’s summer is not only hot but also very humid and hard to endure. June in particular is the rainy season. The higher humidity during the rainy season makes food spoil more easily. I often hear stories of international students who keep ingredients in their rooms as they did back home and then get food poisoning from eating them. Observe best-before and use-by dates, and store food in the refrigerator whenever possible. Many people get hooked Winter specialty “kotatsu” Winters in Japan are cold. In snowy regions houses are prepared for winter so you can stay warm, but Tokyo is not like that. That’s why the kotatsu is popular. Do you know a kotatsu? It’s a table with a heater. Many international students become addicted to it. It’s warm and covered with a futon, so you often hear stories of students falling asleep doing homework at the kotatsu. When you come to Japan, please try it at least once. You’ll find it hard to leave the kotatsu. Onset in the second year! Hay fever Many people suddenly develop hay fever in their second year of studying abroad. Around mid-January cedar pollen begins to spread nationwide in Japan. Large numbers of people suffer from hay fever due to that pollen. Once it starts, it won’t go away without special treatment. It’s said that one in four Japanese people develop hay fever (in Tokyo it’s one in two). The main symptoms are sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes. If you develop hay fever after coming to Japan, go to a hospital and get medicine. Did everyone understand about Japan’s climate and natural phenomena? Our school conducts a disaster drill once a year. In this drill we receive instruction from the local fire department so we can evacuate calmly in the event of a major earthquake. Our school supports students so they can live in dormitories with peace of mind. We look forward to your enrollment.