If you haven't noticed this beast, you're one of the blessed and fortunate ones. It's 花粉症の季節 (kafunshō no kisetsu, hay fever season), and the annual sufferers are all united in the opinion that it gets worse every year.

In spring in Japan, people are largely divided into two camps — those with masks and those without — and these days it's not unusual to see people gathered for 花見 (hanami, cherry blossom viewing), playing with their kids in the park, or couples locked in a fevered kiss — all done behind their マスク (masuku, masks).

These masuku come with a range of functions and in an array of designs, and they're often technological wonders worthy of deployment on the International Space Station. Still, it's a bummer to slog through the day with stinging eyes and a runny nose — especially since the month of March coincides with the mountainous workload of 年度末 (nendomatsu, the end of the fiscal year). White Day? そんなの知ったこっちゃ ないよ (Sonna no shitta koccha nai yo, "Who cares about that?")