It's that time of year again, when "kaze (colds)" and " infuruenza (influenza)" merge with the "sugikafunsho (hay fever)" to generate and spread that oh-so-miserable feeling.
We were warned months in advance that this year the amount of cedar pollen was to swell tenfold, and the only thing to do really, was to "gaishutsu wo hikaeru (reduce trips outdoors)" and to wear a "masuku (mask)" along with "goguru (goggles)" during the hours of "tsuukin to tsuugaku (work and school commutes)."
Consequently the streets are looking a little sinister, what with the massed ranks of masuku and goguru faithful, their features obscured by the heavy-duty contraptions a la something from a dire bioterrorism movie.