Swollen face, work disruptions
Bui Van Phong suffers from hay fever while living in Japan in 2022.
Bui Van Phong, 28, from Bac Giang Province, returned to Vietnam in 2022 but still vividly remembers the struggles of dealing with hay fever while working in Japan.
"In 2016, I moved to Japan to study and work in architectural design. I had heard about hay fever being common there, but in my first few years, I was fine and assumed I wouldn’t be affected," he said.
However, in 2019, Phong began experiencing sneezing, a runny nose, and persistent eye irritation. Thinking he had sinusitis, he went to the doctor, only to be diagnosed with hay fever.
For two months, Phong endured exhaustion, unable to study or work. Still, he tried to push through because of his stable job and income.
Unfortunately, the condition worsened every year. By mid-2022, his eyes became so swollen that he couldn’t open them, and his symptoms escalated to the point where he was coughing up blood and constantly feeling a burning sensation in his throat.
"In a foreign country, suddenly being unable to open my eyes or function normally was terrifying. Luckily, my roommate helped buy medicine for me," he recalled.
After another year of suffering, Phong decided to return to Vietnam, concerned about his health, Japan’s high medical costs, and the impact on his daily life. At that time, he was earning VND40-50 million per month, but he chose to leave everything behind.
Chau, 35, who runs a phone repair shop in Japan, shared that he recently had to close his business due to hay fever, significantly affecting his income. Having lived in Japan for nine years, he confirmed that while hay fever may seem harmless, it seriously impacts many people.
"Several Vietnamese workers I know had to take long breaks or even return home because they couldn't handle the allergy symptoms," Chau said.
To manage the condition and prevent work disruptions, many workers in Japan get annual hay fever vaccinations in February. However, not everyone can afford them, as medical costs are high.
A vaccine shot costs between 2,000 and 7,000 yen, excluding expenses for masks, eye drops, and nasal sprays.
30 percent of Japan’s population severely affected
People wear face masks while walking outdoors in Tokyo. Photo by Robert Gilhooly
As of March 21, 2025 data from Weather News showed that around 30 percent of users in Japan reported experiencing severe hay fever symptoms.
Areas such as Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Kochi, and Hiroshima have been issued high pollen allergy warnings, while cities like Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kanazawa, Niigata, and Sendai are at extreme risk levels.
Pollen intensity is expected to peak between March 21 and 26, particularly in regions from Kyushu to Tokyo. Experts highlight that this season’s pollen levels are exceptionally high due to unusually warm temperatures.
In response, some Japanese companies offer financial support or grant paid leave to employees suffering from severe hay fever to prevent health issues from affecting their work.
