I come from a country where summer is short and not always hot. We welcome every fair weather day and try to get out into sunshine and fresh air as much as possible. But we have to carry long sleeve clothes for chilly evenings and always worry about rain. Japan is blessed with more predictable weather and longer summers, but the combination of high temperatures and humidity causes a different kind of suffering. The center of Tokyo, full of concrete and glass, is probably the worst place to stay on a hot, humid day. Many choose to trap themselves in small cocoons of the air conditioned indoors, but is this really how a day off should be spent?

Even in Japan, I kept my love for spending hot days outdoors. Especially in Japan, I highly recommend spending your free time out of the city and in the shade of trees, or in the refreshing water of a river or the sea. Yes, you will sweat. Sweat is natural, it’s good. You will probably get dirty, may get a muscle pain or a light scratch, but that’s what life really tastes like. Oxygen, directly from the trees, feels better than the cold, calculated breeze from the ceiling. Pack a big bottle of water and it will taste better than a double frappuchino with ice. Good hiking boots are a better gift for your legs than an escalator ride in the crowd. See Fuji-san in the distance and just for a while your problems will seem small and far away.