Japan Plans to Replace Cedars to Combat Hay Fever
With more and more of its people suffering from hay fever, Japan wants to reduce the number of cedar trees in the country by 20% in the next 10 years.
It plans to replace cedars with other trees that produce less pollen.
It's thought that 40% of people in Japan suffer from hay fever. Many find themselves sneezing through the spring, with other symptoms including itchy eyes and a runny nose.
As anyone who has suffered from it will know, it's an annoying allergy to have. In fact, one of Japan's MPs called it a "national disease" last year, although it's worse in some areas than in others.
But it doesn't just annoy sufferers — it may also affect the economy by making workers less productive. A 2024 survey by Panasonic estimated that 234 billion yen — about $1.5 billion — is lost every day due to that decrease in productivity during the pollen season.
The government said at the start of June that it will speed up the process of cutting down and replacing the country's cedar trees. It wants to meet its 20% reduction goal by 2033.
In the meantime, many people in Japan spent the spring taking antihistamines, using nasal sprays and wearing masks and special glasses outside.
In recent years, Japanese companies have also introduced measures of their own.
Since 2018, a Tokyo-based data company called Lafool has been offering its employees a "hay fever allowance." It pays the full cost of medical treatment and prescriptions for staff who have hay fever. Bloomberg reported that around four in 10 staff used this allowance last year.
In 2022, Tokyo-based technology company Aisaac allowed its employees to work remotely and gave them a subsidy of 3,000 yen — about $19 — per night during the pollen season. The company's co-founder is a hay fever sufferer.
However, some have called for the government to do more to help.
As Kimihiro Okubo from Nippon Medical School told Bloomberg: "The government should also promote research and development, and provide subsidies" to help hay fever sufferers.
