Weathernews announced the results of its “Hay Fever Prevention Survey” conducted through its Weathernews weather app. The survey was conducted from December 28, 2023 to January 3, 2024.
More than one in two respondents reported hay fever, with Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Saitama prefectures having the highest incidence rates by prefecture. It was concentrated on the Pacific side of Honshu, with many prefectures, especially in the Kanto Koshinetsu and Tokai regions, with more than 60% of the respondents.
The same trend has been observed in the observation average (2017-2023) of the company’s proprietary IoT pollen monitoring device, Pollen Robo, which has been installed at 1,000 locations in Japan.
More than 30% of all respondents answered that they start hay fever countermeasures “before the start of scattering” or “on an annual basis with allergen immunotherapy,” with Ibaraki, Kanagawa, and Nara Prefectures showing high awareness of advance countermeasures. Fewer respondents in northern Japan and Kyushu, where the incidence is low, took advance measures.
The most common measures taken against hay fever before the dispersal were masks, followed by oral medication and eye drops. It is said that taking countermeasures against hay fever before symptoms appear is effective, with some people starting treatment around December.
According to a survey conducted on January 24-25, 53% of pollen allergy sufferers are already feeling symptoms, but only 43% said they are taking countermeasures. 2024 is about a week earlier than usual for pollen dispersal, which may delay countermeasures.
WeatherNews “Pollen Ch.” provides hourly and three-hourly forecasts for each region, as well as real-time information on airborne pollen dispersion.
© Source travel watch