What Is Hay Fever Season And How Japanese Firms Are Dealing With It?

During Japan's hay fever season, which typically peaks from late February to mid-April, millions of individuals endure symptoms that significantly impact their work and daily lives.

One such individual is Naoki Shigihara, whose hay fever symptoms make it challenging to focus on work. Fortunately, Shigihara's employer, an IT company named Aisaac, offers a unique program called "tropical escape," allowing employees to work remotely from regions with low pollen counts, as reported by Washington Post.

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The company even subsidizes the temporary relocation costs, amounting to $1,300 per employee. Shigihara, a 20-year-old engineer, has taken advantage of this flexible policy for the past two years by relocating to Okinawa, a tropical island in southern Japan, where he experienced relief from his symptoms. However, upon returning to Tokyo, his symptoms worsened once again.

Hay fever affects more than 40 percent of the Japanese population, surpassing the global average of 10 to 30 percent, according to the Japan Society of Immunology, Allergology, and Infection in Otorhinolaryngology. The severity of the issue prompted the Japanese government and businesses to take measures to mitigate its economic and health impacts.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recognized hay fever as a "national disease" due to its significant impact on productivity. A survey conducted by the Panasonic Corporation revealed that decreased worker productivity during allergy season results in economic losses of approximately $1.5 billion per day.

To address this issue, about 20 percent of Japanese companies allow remote work during hay fever season, and some companies, like Aisaac, even contribute to the relocation costs for affected employees, as reported by Washington Post.

The prevalence of hay fever in Japan can be attributed to extensive cedar and cypress forests planted post-war to support the construction industry. These trees, which cover 28 percent of Japan's forests, produce high levels of pollen. Furthermore, climate change exacerbates the problem, as global warming leads to earlier and longer allergy seasons.

Professor Minoru Gotoh, from Nippon Medical School Tama Nagayama Hospital in Tokyo, emphasized the widespread impact of cedar pollen, which affects a broad area due to its dispersion over several dozen kilometers.

Serious hay fever symptoms can impair work efficiency by more than 30 percent, resulting in significant economic losses, according to Professor Mitsuhiro Okano from the International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital in Chiba prefecture. The annual medical treatment costs related to hay fever allergies amount to about $2.4 billion, with an additional $264 million spent on over-the-counter medication.

To support affected employees, many Japanese companies offer hay fever subsidies to cover medical expenses and provide relief items such as nasal sprays, tissues, masks, and eyedrops.

Aisaac's "tropical escape" program allows employees to relocate to low-pollen areas from mid-February to mid-April, with destinations including Okinawa, Amami Oshima, Hokkaido, Guam, or Hawaii. Employees receive up to $1,300 to alleviate their symptoms, as per media reports.

Initiated in 2022 due to the company's CEO's serious hay fever symptoms, the program was well-received, with one-third of Aisaac's 185 employees participating last year.

Shigihara appreciates the effectiveness of the program and notes its popularity among colleagues, underscoring the serious nature of Japan's hay fever issue and the impact it has on individuals and workplaces.