Another Side of Japan-China Relations the World Doesn’t Know
Yesterday wasn’t just a perfectly clear day without a single cloud—it was also an ideal day for photography, with the mountain ridges surrounding Osaka clearly visible.
Thanks to this, I was able to capture what may be the best photos I’ve ever taken: the wild wisteria of Nara Park, the Wisteria Garden in Manyoen, and the wisteria around Kasuga Taisha—all among the things I’ve loved most for over a decade.
Today, I had also planned to go out and photograph azaleas I had been eagerly anticipating. But the moment I opened my front door and looked toward the northern mountain range, I immediately decided to cancel.
It was exactly as the weather forecast had warned: a large cloud of yellow sand from China would be sweeping over Japan today and tomorrow.
I’ve had hay fever for many years, but after purchasing a nasal rinse device, my symptoms have significantly improved. As soon as I start sneezing from pollen, I head straight to the sink and rinse my nose. This has an incredibly strong effect.
Of course, during this season, I always wear a mask when going out. Thanks to that, I can get through the pollen season much more comfortably now.
However, yellow sand is a different matter altogether.
For instance, today, after stepping outside and changing plans right away, I went to the food section of a major supermarket headquarters nearby and bought freshly made sushi for lunch. Even during that short time and short distance, I could already feel itchiness on my face—even though I was wearing a mask.
Even just coming into contact with the exposed surface of the face not covered by a mask, yellow sand can cause such symptoms.
In this post, I will provide a brief overview of today’s yellow sand conditions—summarized as PM2.5 data—and the Japan Meteorological Agency’s report on the event, as a way to shed light on another truth about Japan-China relations that the world knows nothing about.
I have previously introduced in this column—through several of Masayuki Takayama’s essays—that yellow sand is far more dangerous and contains more harmful substances than what the Meteorological Agency’s summaries suggest. Please search this blog for those articles.
