Japanese way to cool off in hot summer

Summer in Japan is very hot and humid. Using an electric air conditioner is commonplace nowadays, but Japanese people have used many different ways to cool off since ancient times.

Sudare

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Sudare are usually made of thin strips of wood, which are laid flat and tied together to make a curtain-like screen. By hanging sudare from the top of the window frame, you can block the heat of the sun and stop insects coming into the room while allowing a cool breeze to pass through the spaces between the wooden slats.

Uchimizu

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Uchimizu is the custom of sprinkling water in gardens and on streets to make the passing wind cooler. People see uchimizu as a practical way of cooling the breeze while continuing an aesthetically pleasing and courteouscustom. Sprinkling water with a ladle also reduces dust from dry roads and the ground underfoot.

Uchiwa

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Usually uchiwa have a round shape, with a frame of thinly split splayed bamboo onto which paper is glued.

Furin

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Furin are usually made of glass, iron and other materials, which create a ringing sound when they touch each other. They are hung outside under the eaves of the roof so we can enjoy the cool and soothing sound the chimes make when they are blown by the wind.

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