Japan is a beautiful country and when it gets warmer, while visiting the parks are enjoyable, some areas that have a lot of water will attract mosquitoes.
And parks like Yoyogi Park at one time, had problems with mosquitoes that carried the dengue virus.
While some may have read unfortunate news about the 2014 dengue fever outbreak (caused by tiger mosquitoes which lay around 100 eggs in a lifetime in water puddles and the eggs hatch in the spring) at Yoyogi Park, that was the worst in the location and the first recorded case in 70 years. So, the park was closed on Sept. 4, 2014 as nearly 200 cases were reported. But the park was re-opened on October 31st and the Tokyo metropolitan government said they would take measures to spray insecticide near fountains and any spots with water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
But Tokyo has taken measures and there have been no reported outbreaks since that incident.
But that was Yoyogi Park, there are thousands of parks in Japan and the risk of being bitten by a mosquito is quite high during the summer, if you frequent parks with water or puddles of water.
So, what should one do?
Well, there are over-the-counter repellents and anti-itch products you can purchase. DISCLAIMER: Bare in mind, I am not a physician, so if you or your children are allergic to skin products, you may want to go to an English speaking doctor in Japan. But these are common, over-the-counter products that people use in Japan and can easily find at a pharmacy and may be able to find at a convenience store or supermarket.
If you are at a pharmacy, it may be best to use this page as a reference and show them the image of what you need. They will either have it in stock or will have another version made by another pharmaceutical company for you to purchase.
I. INSECT REPELLENT IN JAPAN/虫よけ (MUSHIYOKE)
First, the most popular insect repellents (Mushiyoke Kinchoru) to spray on yourself before heading to these areas as a preventative from getting mosquito (mosquito in Japanese is “ka”) bites. Possibly the most famous mosquito repellent is made by KINCHO (pronounced as keen-cho).
Mushiyoke Kinchoru Powder and Citrus Mint no Kaori
You can ask for “Mushiyoke Kinchoru Powder and Citrus Mint no Kaori” (or just ask for Mushiyoke, pronounced as moo-shi-yo-ke). So, if you see a pharmacist, “Kincho no Mushiyoke ga arimasu ka?” (Do you have Kincho’s “Mushiyoke”?).
Ka ga inaku naru spray katori (24-Hour Spray)/蚊がいなくなるスプレー 蚊取り 24時間持続
Ka ga inaku naru spray katori (12-Hour Spray)/ 蚊がいなくなるスプレー 蚊取り 12時間持続
But strictly against mosquitoes, KINCHO also sells a 24-hour and 12-hour mosquito repellent. Red package is 24 hour coverage (Y1118), a pink package that smells like roses but costs a bit more at (Y1624) and offers 24-hour coverage and blue package is 12-hour coverage (Y868). Not many people need 24-hour coverage, so the blue package will suffice.
You can say “Ka ga inaku naru spray katori” to the pharmacist or better yet, “Kincho no Ka ga inaku naru spray katori ga arimasu ka?” (Do you have Kincho’s “Ka ga inaku naru spray katori”?).
II. LET’S ASSUME YOU, A FRIEND OR FAMILY WERE BITTEN BY MOSQUITOES
OK, so you’ve been bitten by mosquitoes and trying not to scratch it. You have several options, but they are made by the same company and that’s “Muhi” (pronounced as moo-hee).
For those needing a straightup liquid medication to stop itchiness and swelling from itchiness especially from mosquito bites, will want to check out Muhi S2a or for the cream version, Muhi S. One of these is probably all you ever need (unless it’s for infants or children, look below).
The components are dexamethasone acetate to suppress itching and inflammation, diphenhydramine hydrochloride to suppress irritation, i-menthol and camphor for a refreshing sensation, glycyrrhetinic acid from herbal medicine for inflammation and Isopropyl Methylphenol for anti-bacterial.
Now if you need some major protection from ticks, mites, fleas, centipedes or if you get stung by a jellyfish, then you will want Muhi Alpha EX and unlike the other Muhi, this is stronger as it contains Prednisolone.
But if you are looking for something for infants and children, then you will want to get Muhi for babies for anti-itching caused by insect bites, rash, etc.
For Muhi Baby, there are two versions, a liquid version and a cream version. The baby version does not contain any alcohol and menthol.
The Muhi Patch A, is a patch with Anpanman put on skin areas affected for children. And these come with 76 sheets. If you see a bottle version with Anpanman from Muhi, that’s cough syrup (purple package) or for hay fever (green package).
III. I’M TOO SCARED TO PUT SPRAY OR CREAM ON MY SKIN IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, IS THERE ANY NATURAL ALTERNATIVES?
Yes! There are these aromatic rings that people purchase (comes with 30 in a package) that people wear on their wrists and around their ankles. These rings repel insects, doesn’t kill them and feature a natural oil blend. They are under Y500 and the reviews are mostly good.
But Japanese say these are for outdoor only because they emit a strong odor that deters insects. So, make sure you or your kids don’t wear this inside your hotel room or indoors. Also, they recommend sorting through which are large or small. So, finding them will be much easier on a trip.
Overall, it’s good to play it safe and choose the products that best suit you. But I do recommend if you are going to the pharmacy or store in Japan, feel free to show them the images on this page or by mentioning it by name.
All the best!
