Companies Offers Subsidized Okinawa Retreats for Allergy Sufferers

Apr 08, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - As the hay fever season continues, one company has embarked on a bold initiative for its employees: work in Okinawa.

The Tokyo-based IT firm Isaac offers its workers, such as engineer Yuki Ando, who can hardly part with tissues and eyedrops during work, a significant respite from hay fever symptoms. This year, Ando found relief during the peak pollen season not in the city but on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa.

Ando shared, "Being completely free from pollen, I felt a lot better physically. Changing environments also helped refresh me, boosting my productivity at work. It's a great policy."

Dubbed the "Tropical Escape," Isaak covers accommodation and other expenses up to 200,000 yen. Ando spent 11 days in Okinawa, refreshing with marine leisure activities in between work.

The company's extensive engagement in hay fever mitigation reflects the undeniable negative impact of pollen allergies on work performance.

Isaac's PR officer, Mayu Koseki, noted, "When asked about their performance compared to usual, many say it's about half due to drowsiness from medication. There's a significant drop in individual performance."

Moreover, private sector estimates reveal substantial daily economic losses nationwide due to hay fever.

With hay fever now a national affliction, the healthcare provider Laful introduced a hay fever allowance, subsidizing treatment costs up to 5,000 yen per session. Employees presenting hospital receipts can freely use premium tissues and masks.

Laful's PR director, Naoto Ozawa, stated, "Last year, about 40% of our employees used the hay fever allowance."

According to Panasonic's estimates, the economic loss due to reduced labor productivity from hay fever amounts to approximately 234 yen billion per day. More companies are expected to adopt serious measures against hay fever in the future.

Source: ANN

Players to Watch When Japan Faces the Netherlands

Japan's World Cup campaign begins on June 14 when the Samurai Blue face the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Texas, a clash that will showcase some of the game's most talented players and pit two ambitious teams against one another in a crucial Group F opener. While Japan arrives without injured winger Kaoru Mitoma, one of its most recognizable stars, the squad still boasts a wealth of talent drawn from Europe's top leagues.

El Nino Returns, But Japan Faces Another Hot Summer

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that an El Niño phenomenon is believed to have developed this spring, warning that Japan is likely to experience above-average temperatures nationwide this summer despite the climate pattern's traditional association with cooler summers.

Narita Airport Advances Compulsory Land Acquisition for Runway

Narita International Airport Corporation is expected to announce next month that it will apply to the national government for project certification as part of the process to enable compulsory land acquisition for the construction of a new runway at Narita Airport, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Will There Be Another Currency Intervention to Boost Weak Yen?

The Bank of Japan is set to raise its policy interest rate from 0.75% to 1.0% at its monetary policy meeting on June 15th and 16th, a move that could mark another step in the central bank's gradual shift away from ultra-loose monetary policy as inflation remains elevated and the yen continues to weaken.

IT Infrastructure Management Solutions for Businesses in Japan

The contemporary corporate field across Japan is undergoing a profound digital transformation as forward-thinking organizations strive to maintain their market competitiveness in a globalized economy.

Japan Producer Prices Rise 6.3% to Highest Level in Over Three Years

Japan's corporate goods prices rose 6.3% in May from a year earlier, marking the fastest pace of increase in more than three years as higher oil and petrochemical costs linked to tensions in the Middle East pushed up wholesale prices.

Bank of Japan Poised to Raise Rates to 1.0% as Inflation Risks Mount

The Bank of Japan is increasingly expected to raise its policy interest rate to 1.0% at next week's monetary policy meeting, responding to growing concerns that inflation could rise faster than previously anticipated due to soaring oil prices and other cost pressures.

Japan's Restaurants Struggle Under Inflation and Labor Shortages

The number of restaurant bankruptcies in Japan reached a record high for the January–May period, highlighting mounting pressures from rising costs, labor shortages, and increasingly cautious consumer spending.

Inside Casio’s Secret Project to Revive Its Manufacturing Spirit

Casio Computer, the company behind some of Japan’s most iconic consumer electronics including calculators, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and the G-SHOCK watch, is pursuing a new strategy aimed at reviving its tradition of product innovation.

Nippon Steel to Invest 400 Billion Yen in U.S. Steel Plant Expansion

Nippon Steel plans to invest up to $2.5 billion, or approximately 400 billion yen, over the next three years in the Mon Valley Works steel complex in Pennsylvania, one of the key facilities operated by U.S. Steel, the American steelmaker it acquired in 2025.

Japan Revises Q1 GDP Growth Down to 1.8% on Weak Capital Investment

Japan's economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.8% in the January–March quarter of 2026, according to revised gross domestic product (GDP) data released by the Cabinet Office, with the figure marked down from the preliminary estimate due largely to weaker-than-expected capital investment.

< 2 3 4 5 >