Pollen Season Begins in 21 of Japan’s Prefectures

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:04 JST, February 16, 2023

The pollen season has begun in 21 of the nation’s prefectures, Weathernews Inc. announced Wednesday.

The company’s full breakdown runs thus: seven prefectures in Kyushu; seven prefectures in Kanto; and Ehime, Kochi, Yamaguchi, Shimane, Wakayama, Mie, and Shizuoka.

The Kyushu region’s starting date was largely unchanged from typical years, while the Kanto region was about a week behind average.

Regarding cedar pollen dispersion, Kyushu is forecast to peak soon; the Kinki, Tokai, and Kanto regions will reach a pinnacle in late February; Hokuriku levels will climax in early March; and Tohoku will top out in early March or later.

Hinoki (Japanese cypress) pollen will crest from late March onward, starting from Kyushu.