Hot Take: Go To Japan In The Summertime For A Body Reset
If you ask any travel forum or people that has gone to Japan several times when you should visit Japan, you would get almost the same exact advice from almost everyone: book the trip in the spring for the cherry blossoms or the autumn foliage, and whatever you do, avoid peak summer at all costs.
The suffocating humidity, blazing sun, and the intense heat index make Tokyo in July sound like a torture test.
As someone that's born and live in Louisiana, Louisiana heat is something that I've been used to in my life. It was my first time going to Japan in the summertime last year, and before leaving Louisiana for Japan, I honestly had the thought of, "If I can handle Louisiana's heat, then heat in Japan shouldn't be that bad"
For the entire trip, Japanese heat humbled me real quick...
The humidity was tougher to handle, but there's a huge difference on air-conditioning between Louisiana and Japan. In Japan, their air-conditioning tends to be a lot more conservative by putting their temperature to 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), while in Louisiana we tend to blast our air-conditioners to low 70s Fahrenheit (sometimes even high 60s).
So when I was in Louisiana, I tend to cool down a lot faster than when I was in Japan because of the air-conditioning. In Japan, because of their air-conditioning, I was still sweating even at nighttime.
However, despite all of that, there was a hot take I've learned during my stay: Visiting Japan in the summertime isn't a mistake--it is quietly the best time for a full-body wellness reset. I'll explain why you should try going in the summertime.
Reason #1: Walking Is A Must
In America, we always have a routine of car to parking lot to desk in almost a daily basis. Meaning most Americans hate sweating during the summertime, so they're doing whatever they can to sweat less.
I was at fault to that to an extent. Despite playing a lot of sports in the past, there were times I didn't like to sweat.
The moment you get to Japan, you have to walk to get to where you want to go: no exceptions and it's non-negotiable.
Most visitors (like me) would have to double and even triple their steps the moment they walk around Japan. The average tourist that goes to Japan would walk around 20,000 steps per day, which is about close to 10 miles.
I remembered one day in Japan where I walked so much that I checked my pedometer on my phone before heading to sleep, and it says that I walked about 30,000 steps, which is about 14 miles.
Let me tell you: every step after 20,000 steps made my legs felt like bricks because my body is not used to going over that many steps in a span of a day. I've burned a lot of calories walking around the streets of Japan and my metabolism skyrocketed.
So, I will warn you: the steps you'll take in Japan for a day is similar to the amount of steps you'll take in American in two weeks.
Reason #2: Deep Sweat & Thermal Therapy
The humidity in Japan isn't just a weather--it's thermal therapy. The moment you step outside to walk in the streets of Japan, your body immediately starts sweating, flushing out water retention, opening up pores, and encouraging heavy fluid takeover.
The heat wasn't a big problem for me: it was the humidity that made me sweat like a bullet from even 5 minutes walking in the streets.
It's like the entire country is a natural sauna that you go almost every hour.
Yeah the sweating would be a hassle to deal with, but it's super worth it because you'll get the chance to drink some teas such as barley tea (mugi-cha) and some water with electrolytes such as Pocari Sweat.
The amount of times I either go to 7-Eleven or even go to the nearest vending machine, and I would buy 3 to 4 bottles of Pocari Sweat every 3 hours is crazy because I would sweat super hard than I ever did recently.
Plus, surprisingly, I did miss the times where I sweat a lot after playing soccer back in high school and college. So, even just walking around Yokohama and Kamakura does give me some type of nostalgia.
Reason #3: Deep Sleep
There is something meditative about the rhythm of a Japanese summer night. After a day of sweating your entire body and walking about 20,000 steps for the entire day, the cooling evening breeze brings out summer festivals all around Japan.
The moment I went to my room after a whole day of walking, I was physically drained in the best way possible. There's a huge difference between being physically drained in Japan than I was in the United States.
My body was ready to be put to rest, and falling into clean hotel sheets leads to me having better sleep and relaxation than I ever had back home.
The entire day ended with a deep sleep that would help my body recover for the next day is the best way for my body to end the small workout.
Conclusion
Going to Japan in the summer isn't about breezy luxury or picture-perfect 68 degrees Fahrenheit weather--it's an active immersive reboot for your body.
The tons of days I've walked paid off perfectly because the moment I went back home, tons of people were surprised that I became less bloated, more energized, and looked a lot leaner than I was before I left for Japan.
If you stop fighting the climate and lean into the walking, the sweat, the hydration, and the vibrant summer culture, you'll come home lighter, clearer, and thoroughly re-energized.
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