How I Safely Enjoy 5 Things I Anticipate During Summer in Japan While in Pandemic

Although I’m not a big fan of hot weather, I still look forward to this season every year because it makes me feel active. There are more activities to do compared to when it’s winter. However, since it’s still pandemic, I am restricted.

On the other hand, I did find ways to safely enjoy the things/ events I anticipate during summer in Japan while in the pandemic.

Here is the list!

1. Going to the Beach

I’m from the Philippines and I grew up near the beach, hence being near the sea reminds me of home. Whenever I smell the scent of the sea, it brings back a lot of memories. Sadly, I can’t often go to the beach especially when the weather is cold.

But at least I was able to visit the beaches in Kagoshima this year and it was fantastic! There weren’t that many people, so it wasn’t difficult to do social distancing.

Precautions:

We went to Kagoshima by train by using the JR KYUSHU RAIL PASS, since the airfare is quite pricey. We picked an early train ride to avoid the crowd. My husband and I visited Ibusuki. There are few tourists around, but it wasn’t crowded.

After that, we took the ferry to Yakushima and rented a car. It was less crowded, so we felt at ease exploring the island and we stayed in a cabin, which was further from the main city.

2. Summer Festivals

There are festivals all year round, but I enjoy summer festivals more because my body isn’t restricted by thick clothing.

Summer festival I attended 5 years ago

Moreover, I get to wear a Yukata ( a Japanese summer traditional clothing) and watch fireworks! The first time I went to a summer festival wearing a Yukata, it felt so surreal, like a scene from the anime that I used to watch when I was a kid. It was a dream come true.

Precautions:

Sadly, many summer festivals are canceled. There are some virtual tours that you can watch online where you can watch some fireworks.

For my husband and I, we just watched fireworks from our balcony, and when we went to Ibusuki, Kagoshima. A fireworks event was held near the ryokan we were staying, so my husband and I watched it at the seaside while wearing a yukata.

3. Obon

Japan has 3 major holidays--- New Year, Golden Week, and Obon. The latter is a period for paying respect to one’s ancestors. The Japanese believe that during Obon the spirits of their ancestors come back to visit them.

This event is usually observed at the beginning of August for four days, hence some companies have a one-week vacation. Luckily, the company my husband is working for is one of them. That’s why we use this free time to travel, either overseas or in Japan.

This year we traveled to all the prefectures in Shikoku, because of that I’ve now traveled to 42 prefectures! 5 more to go!

Precautions:

We picked Shikoku because we could travel there by car.

Cosplaying Studio Ghibli's Kiki in Shodoshima Island

As much as possible, we wanted to avoid crowds. We also visited places that don’t attract that many tourists or wide, open areas. The only place that we went to that had a lot of people was Dogo Onsen. When we were there, we avoided walking to cramped spaces and I didn’t even go to the hot spring. My husband did go, but during its opening time (6 am).

4. Wearing a Yukata

I love Yukata. I feel very feminine and pretty whenever I wear it. Even though it takes a lot of time to put it on, it’s definitely worth it. I really enjoy taking photos while wearing it. It can make an ordinary scene, extraordinary.

I wish I could wear it any time of the year, but it’s very inconvenient during the cold seasons--- there are not enough layers to keep me warm, LOL. I could wear a Kimono during that period, but I haven’t learned how to put that on.

Precautions:

Since I did not go to any summer festival this year, I wore it when my husband and I went to Enmaji, a temple near Dogo Onsen. It was quite early, so we were the only ones in the temple. However, the temple is Enmaji, so we didn’t stay long because we might have a hard time doing social distancing once people start to come.

A quick shot at Enmanji

For those who don’t want to go to a temple or shrine, you can wear it at your home and do a photo shoot.

If you don’t know how to put it on, you can use this time to learn it. You could just buy a secondhand Yukata or order online through GRL (one of my favorite Japanese online clothing stores) and watch Youtube tutorials.

5. Summer Foods

Japan has a lot of seasonal food, but one of my favorites is the summer ones. There are more fruits and Kakigori (shaved ice dessert with flavored syrup). I also like the special summer menus that restaurants, cafes, and even the convenient stores offer, which are usually different every year. It’s like a surprise.

There are still more summer foods in Japan that I haven’t eaten, like the Somen (white noodles) that rolls down the bamboo, Rei Shabu (cold pork shabu-shabu), Morioka Reimen (cold noodles), etc.

There’s so many summer food that I want to try!

Precautions:

Make it at home!

The Hiyashi Chuka I made this year!

The pandemic really pushed me to learn new dishes. Last time I made Hiyashi Chuka (cold noodles) and bought supermarket Tokoroten (jelly noodles) and prepared it at home.

Conclusion

Doing outdoor activities during the pandemic is challenging. However, there are still ways to safely do it.

1. Go early

2. Go to off-the-beaten-track destinations

3. Visit open and wide areas instead of an indoor places

4. Avoid using public transportation as much as you can

5. Always bring sanitizer and lotion with you

6. Wear a mask

How about you? What do you anticipate during summer? And how to do safely enjoy it? Comment it down below!