My husband and I recently spent two weeks in Japan on an early summer family vacation with our two teenagers. Considering we traveled during June's rainy season, we were incredibly fortunate with the weather. Most of the rain fell in the early mornings, leaving us with pleasant days and only the occasional light drizzle to dodge.
Tokyo was as vibrant and energetic as ever. Trains were packed, restaurants had lines out the door (we happily waited 105-minutes for souffle pancakes -totally worth it!), and popular attractions buzzed with visitors from around the world. One thing I couldn't help but notice (and be worried about) was the number of people that seemed to be coughing. Deep, phlegmy coughs echoed through train cars, elevators and crowded shopping streets. Looking back, we probably should have started taking Yu Ping Feng San (Jade Screen) at least a couple of weeks before our trip to help strengthen our defensive Qi and support our immune systems. As usual, hindsight is 20/20. (click to see our article on Yu Ping Feng San to learn more.)
On our second day, we joined an 11-hour bus tour to Hakone, famous for its volcanic sulfur vents, beautiful Lake Ashi, and the iconic red torii gates rising from the water. The scenery was unforgettable. Unfortunately, so were some of our fellow passengers. Several people spent the entire day coughing and sniffling, and none of them were wearing masks. We had forgotten to pack ours, so there wasn't much we could do except admire the scenery and hope for the best.
The following morning, some of us woke up with scratchy, dry throats. We immediately reached for Yin Chiao, hoping to stop things before they progressed.
Whenever I travel, I never leave home without a small TCM travel kit. My essentials are Gan Mao Ling (感妙灵), Yin Chiao (银翘解毒片) and Curing Pills (康宁丸. They take up very little suitcase space, but have saved more than one vacation from absolute misery!
Incidentally, on this trip I learned that Japanese children average only one to two colds per year, compared to the global average of six to eight. One common habit is gargling with salt water after returning home each day. On our daily trips to 7-Eleven, I found an herbal gargle containing Clove/Ding Xiang (丁香) and Menthol/Bo He (薄荷) with a couple of antibacterial ingredients, one of which is an active compound derived from Licorice root/Gan Cao (甘草). Determined to avoid getting sick, I gargled faithfully several times a day. My husband and teen sons, naturally, were far less enthusiastic about the practice. The guys quickly developed runny noses and coughs. I managed to avoid the worst of it, but eventually developed a deep phlegmy cough myself. Between the four of us taking Gan Mao Ling, we quickly worked our way through an economy-sized bottle. Fortunately, it helped keep everyone's symptoms mild enough that we could continue sightseeing rather than spending precious vacation days in bed.
Thankfully, Japan has Kampo, which is a traditional system of medicine derived from Chinese medicine and adapted to Japanese culture, primarily relying on herbal formulas. One thing I particularly appreciated, which also made me a bit envious, was how accessible Kampo medicine is throughout the country. Imagine being able to walk into your local pharmacy and pick up a trusted traditional formula as easily as cough drops! Nearly every neighborhood pharmacy carries a selection of traditional formulas, making it surprisingly easy to find herbal support while traveling.
I found a Mai Men Dong Tang 麦门冬汤 formula which worked wonderfully for calming my itchy throat and reducing my phlegmy cough. Combined with avoiding ice cream and other cold foods, my symptoms improved quickly—just in time for me to fully enjoy plenty of fresh sashimi.
The kids, of course, had a different self-treatment plan. They somehow managed to find ice cream at every attraction, food court, train station, hotel lobby and convenience store we visited. Matcha ice cream, Hokkaido milk soft serve, melon bars, you name it. They happily accepted the extra phlegm as the price of admission. Eventually, I gave up repeating, "You know that's going to make you cough more." Some lessons just have to wait until after vacation.
Avoiding overindulgence was another challenge entirely. The food in Japan is incredibly delicious and fresh. And we definitely indulged—especially while eating our way through Osaka's famous Dotonbori district. There were plenty of "It's okay, we're on vacation!" moments. Thankfully, we had packed Curing Pills, which came in handy after one too many chicken, wagyu beef and octopus skewers, cheese coins (think of a pancake filled with mozzarella cheese that can stretch a foot!), Takoyaki (octopus mochi balls with a thick sweet soy sauce glaze) and green tea custard filled melon buns (my favorite!).
Travel inevitably exposes us to new environments, long travel days, crowded spaces, unfamiliar foods and whatever bugs happen to be circulating. Having a few trusted herbal formulas on hand—and using them early—can make all the difference. While our family wasn't able to avoid every symptom, TCM helped keep them manageable enough so that we could continue exploring temples, eating our way through foodie streets, riding bullet trains, and enjoying everything Japan had to offer.
I thoroughly enjoyed Japan, its clean streets, remarkably clean public toilets, delicious foods, efficient transportation and unfailingly polite people. But after two weeks of fast-paced travel, I am also happy to be home.
We’re all mostly recovered now, aside from the lingering jet lag and the occasional cough during exercise. I’m still taking Sha Shen Mai Men Dong Tang (沙参麦门冬汤), and tonight I think I’ll make a pot of papaya and white fungus soup to help nourish the lungs and restore some moisture after all that travel. Fortunately, it’s also quite delicious. Many Chinese families swear by it for supporting healthy skin and collagen production as well. If you’d like to try it yourself, here’s a link to my favorite recipe.
Arigatou gozaimashita, Japan. Until next time.
Sources:
- https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/chinese-medicine-strategies-for-cold-and-flu
- https://publications.aap.org/patiented/article-abstract/doi/10.1542/ppe_schmitt_336/193999/Colds-Frequent-but-Normal?redirectedFrom=fulltext
- https://japantoday.com/category/features/health/gargling-to-prevent-colds-just-an-japanese-old-wives-tale
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3798579/
- https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(05)00258-8/abstract
