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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Japan declares war on pollen as hay fever epidemic grips the nation

A woman blows her nose on a Tokyo street.
A woman blows her nose on a Tokyo street. Japan’s prime minister has declared war on hay fever Photograph: Katsumi Kasahara/AP

Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has vowed to fight the scourge of hay fever, calling the pollen allergy a health issue that requires urgent government action.

As pollen levels in Tokyo surged to their highest in a decade, Kishida told a parliamentary committee this week that hay fever had become a “social problem,” adding that he would work with ministers to devise a response. “We want to get results,” he said, according to local media.

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