It's said that one in three Japanese people suffers from some kind of allergy, such as hay fever or asthma, and one in fourteen is allergic to certain food items. Food allergies are particularly increasing among children.
Elementary schools that provide children with lunch are pressed to take measures against allergies. One elementary school in Hiroshima uses exclusive cooking utensils to produce meals without using either soybeans or eggs, which can both cause allergies. Another school in Hokkaido tries to produce dishes for allergy-sufferers that appear to be the same as those for other children: for example, the rolled-egg served to children suffering from an egg allergy is cooked just like real tamagoyaki, but ground fish meat and pumpkin is used instead of eggs.
It's said that around 20% of the nation suffers from hay fever and it's becoming a national disease. Cedar and hogweed pollen cause uncomfortable and ongoing symptoms—such as runny noses and sneezing—that stop people from focusing on their studies or work.
The most effective countermeasure against hay fever is to prevent pollen from entering the body. If you visit Japan in the spring when the cedar pollen is flying around, you will see many people wearing masks or goggles in town.
