On sweat

Summer is finally rearing its sweaty head here in Japan, so Japanese Afternoon TV needs to do all it can to prepare people for the drippy, sticky months ahead. Here are some facts and tips about sweat:

1) Instead of fanning your face or pressing a cold towel to your neck, grip something under your upper arm (suggestions include a handbag, a rolled-up newspaper, or a PET bottle - plastic drink bottle to the rest of the world) to reduce sweating. The catch is, you'll probably have to grip something under both arms at the same time for 30 minutes to reduce sweating on your entire torso.

2) Drink water with lemon juice in it an hour before exercise to increase the production of good sweat. Good sweat is "tara-tara" (flowy) and doesn't smell, while bad sweat is "beta-beta" (sticky and drippy) and attracts bacteria and bad odours because it stays on your skin. If you don't have lemons, oranges or umeboshi (Japanese preserved plums) work too.

3) To reduce sweating after a bath, choose to sit in front of a fan instead of drinking cold water or using the air-conditioner. It's the quickest way to keep cool! Sempuki power!

Ijyou desu!