Spring may still be a few weeks away, but if you are experiencing red, swollen and itchy eyes it could be because this year's hay fever season has already begun — with meteorologists saying that cedar and cypress pollen counts could be twice as high compared with last year in some parts of the country.
The unwelcome news for many is a result of higher temperatures combined with longer sunshine hours and less rain last summer, according to the Japan Weather Association, a privately run firm that has been releasing information on pollen dispersion since 1990.
"(We predict) the level in Aomori Prefecture will be at least double that of last year," an association spokeswoman said, adding that many other areas stretching from the Tohoku to Kinki regions — including Tokyo and Nagoya — are expected to be hit by more pollen than the previous season.