Looking toward the sea from the ridge of Mt. Fudo in Odawara, Japan. Hiking this mountain in August isn’t the easiest thing to do. Forgetting to bring water when hiking a mountain in August is downright dangerous.

Those of you who keep up on international news, especially that coming from Japan, may have heard that the Land of the Rising Sun has been suffering through a particularly hot and humid summer.  The latter half of July saw a heat wave posting record temperatures across Japan, reaching 40C (105F), and coupled with the incredible humidity, Japan has seen heat indexes far above that.  Several people have died, and thousands have been hospitalized for heat stress and other heat related problems.  And this heat will likely continue through the end of August and into the first part of September.  But this is nothing new for Japan, which is known for its hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters.  So, continuing with the summer theme, here is my completely unscientific guide to surviving traveling in Japan in summer.  This advice is based entirely on my own experiences, mistakes, and the things I’ve found that have helped me.  So your mileage may vary.

The path up Mt. Fudo in Odawara. Japan is a great place for mountain hiking, with trails like these on many of the numerous mountains across the country. Just be safe and don’t push yourself too hard.

1: Always have water

This sounds like simple common sense, but those of you who’ve followed this blog for a while might remember when I climbed Mt. Fudo in Odawara last August.  Without water.  Mt. Fudo is a beautiful hike, and if I can find the time, I’d love to hike it again and explore some areas and trails I couldn’t get to last time.  However, when it is 35 degrees Celsius (95F) with 60% or more humidity, it is a challenging hike.  Especially when, 30 minutes in, one reaches for their water bottle and realizes it’s empty.  But of course, I didn’t turn around and go back for more.  And there was no need for it.   Japan has convenience stores and vending machines on every corner, so bottled water is easy to be had and not expensive.  Moral of the story, always have water.  In fact, this summer, as I walk and move around, I check my water every time I see a vending machine.

The busy streets of Shinjuku just outside Shinjuku Station. Within 500m of this spot there are, that I know of, 3 Starbucks, numerous Japanese coffee shop chains, and at least a dozen convenience stores. That is pretty average for Tokyo, so you can find a place to cool off easily as you walk around the city.

2:  Convenience Stores are everywhere.

Japan loves their combinis, or convenience stores, and for good reason.  Whether it’s 7-11, Lawson, Family Mart, or any of the other smaller and regional chains, there is one on almost every street corner.  When I went to university in Tokyo, within a 4 minute walk of the campus, there were three 7-11s, 2 Lawsons, and at least one Family Mart.  And two of the three 7-11s could actually see each other.  While the foods that Japanese convenience stores carry are very different from their American counterparts, they do still have a large assortment of cold drinks and frozen treats.  Most carry large, multi-liter bottles of water for cheap – often less than 100 yen, and they all have freezer cases full of ice cream and popsicles ranging from chocolate parfaits, to ice cream bars, to the very cheap (and my personal favorite) Garigari-kun ice candy – a popular flavored ice bar that comes in several often changing flavors.

So, if the heat gets to be too much, there is probably a nearby “combini” to take refuge in and enjoy a cold snack.  I know that, once I came down off of Mt. Fudo, that was the first thing I did.  If you’re in the city, there are also numerous cafes, Japanese and Western brands alike, but nothing is more “convenient” than a convenient store for a short stop.  So if you are walking around Tokyo, pay attention to where the local combinis are.

Looking toward Katase Beach from Enoshima in Fujisawa. In July and August, the beach here and on the opposite side of the fishing harbor are lined with beach houses and full of swimmers.

3: Go to the beach!

Japan is an island nation, surrounded by the sea, so unless you are in Nagano or elsewhere in the central mountains, you probably aren’t far from the ocean.  And oceans mean beaches, especially here in the Kanagawa and Tokyo areas.  Kamakura, famous for its temples and rich history is also known locally for its beach.  Granted, there are better beaches in the world, and even in Japan (Okinawa, for example), but the local Japanese still flock there to beat the heat.  The other great thing about Japanese beaches is that most beaches have beach houses from July 1st until August 31st.  These temporary structures have lockers, changing rooms, showers, and often serve food, drinks, shaved ice, and so on.  So, when you’re tired out from swimming, you can have a light meal and relax.  If you are an adult, many also serve alcohol.  In addition to Kamakura Beach, Katase/Enoshima Beach in Fujisawa, and Chigasaki Southern Beach are also popular places with great beach houses in Kanagawa.

Looking up a dry river bed in Hadano, a city nestled along the mountains in central Kanagawa Prefecture. Central Kanagawa has a lot of great nature and hiking, but the heat this summer is making if difficult to fully explore these areas.

So, there you have it.  Three great ways to survive traveling through Japan’s brutal summer heat.  If you’ve been in Japan in the summer, how did you beat the heat?