6 Japanese Items That Keep You Cool in Summer

How to Keep Cool in the Summer Months in Japan

Summers in Japan are intensely hot, posing a high risk of heat exhaustion even for healthy travelers. Fortunately, Japan offers various innovative products to help you stay cool and enjoy your trip.

You can find these essentials at 100-yen shops like Daiso, convenience stores (7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson), or drugstores. The massive discount chain Don Quijote (Donki) also stocks a wide variety of cooling gear.

When shopping, look for "ice," "cool," or "summer" in English; in Don Quijote, these sections are easily identified by signs featuring ice, penguins, and polar bears.

Japanese Cooling Items

1. Cooling Sprays and Lotions
2. Clothing
3. Portable Fans
4. Parasols
5. Cooling Headbands
6. Sweat Absorbing Accessories

1. Cooling Sprays and Lotions

It is like magic, but these cool sprays are just like an icy relief in a can: shake, spray and feel instantly cooler! Perfect instant relief when you are out in the sun exploring the city. Due to its small size and lightweight this will fit in your bag perfectly.

The cooling lotions work in a very similar way to the cool sprays but I personally recommend adding the lotion on your skin before heading outside in the sun.

The cooling lotions are especially divine after you are done with a hard, hot day of sightseeing: after a relaxing shower the cooling lotion will be your best friend, especially if you managed to get a little bit too sun and need something to ease a sun burn.

Avoid contact with eyes and swallowing the product. The price of these sprays and lotions starts from around 100 yen and they can be found in most stores.

2. Clothing

While you might be skeptical, wearing a breathable, fast-drying undershirt beneath your "real" shirt makes a significant difference.

These cooling layers wick away perspiration, preventing your outer clothing from becoming soaked and helping you feel much drier.

Since they are lightweight, you can easily hand-wash them at night; they’ll be dry and ready for another day of fun in the sun by morning!

Socks that are made of similar fast drying, breathing material can also be a lifesaver - that is if you are wearing shoes. And whether you are walking around wearing closed in shoes or sandals I recommend cool spray for your feet - simply invigorating on a boiling day out!

The price of cooling clothing items starts from around 300 yen per product. They can be found in most stores.

3. Portable Fans

In addition to “traditional fans”, which are very beautiful but do require that pesky manual labor, the alternative is a battery operated, small portable fan that fits in your bag easily. When purchasing one make sure it comes with batteries - some stores provide them, others do not.

Want to go a step further? Daiso sells a portable fan that has a small water container added to it: hence you have a fan that sprays fine mist. Put a few ice cubes in the container and you have yourself a fully automated cooling spray! The cold mist is bound to refresh during a hot day out in the sun.

The portable fans are sold at prices starting from 100 yen. They can be found in most stores.

4. Parasols - Available for All Genders

Honestly, they work. I used to be a skeptic and would snicker when I saw ladies outside in the sun rocking their parasols. But now I very much understand how they can save you from both getting sunburned as well as keep you cooler in the scorching sun.

The parasols (called "higasa" in Japanese) are sold at prices starting from around 300 yen and can be found in most stores. Parasols are now available for men, too. To be clear, their purpose is not only to avoid an unwanted tan.

The use of a parasol prevents the heat fatigue and headaches that can affect those exposed to the powerful sunlight.

5. Cooling Headbands

Soak this piece of cloth in water and the gel inside will turn cool. You can then wear it around your neck or wrap it around your head and it will keep you cool most of the day no matter if you are hiking up a mountain, on the beach or in the city. So simple it is ingenious: cooling down can not get easier than this!

These headbands can be found at Don Quijote stores and their prices start from around 300 yen.

6. Sweat Absorbing Accessories

My personal favorite, the Japanese-written-all-over-this-innovation product: the underarm, sweat absorbing pads. They are truly a miracle worker for those of us who hate underarm stains in our clothes.

A single-use pad is attached to a piece of clothing, sleeveless or sleeved, and voilá, you’re ready to go! As you sweat the pad will absorb the moisture instead of turning your armpits into wet furnaces. A very quirky, yet incredibly useful Japanese innovation.

You can find these pads at Daiso shops at prices starting from 100 yen.

Stay Cool During Japan's Summer

Summer in Japan can feel unbearable at times but with these smart, ingenious Japanese products, you can definitely fight the hot weather and enjoy your time more. Keep cool and carry on!