JapanForum.com - 28 Degrees What?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Reutte (Post 743326)

So I was wondering something about Japan. Right now it's July and it's sort of hot, more humid but it can get up there. So I'm in a home stay and I enjoy it and everything except one strange thing.

My host mom will not let me use my air conditioner. I have in my room a heat/air conditioner unit and she basically told me that in Japan people do not set the heat(cold air) lower than 28 degrees Celsius. So I'm really confused and a bit frustrated. It's really hot at night and I really want to use my air conditioner. However, my host mom got a bit mad at me last night for setting it to 24 and told me that I can't set it lower than 28. She also checked my room to make sure that I didn't set the temperature lower than 28. When I asked for a fan she gave me one but told me not to use it at night because being in a cool room can make you sick. I don't really know how to explain to her that having a cool room is the only thing that lets me sleep in this heat.

Can anyone tell me where this whole 28 degree thing is coming from? I've been asking my friends and none of them have experienced this and some of them even have their host parents turn on their air conditioning for them because they think their room is too hot. My host mother gives "eco" and electricity costs as the reason but it's strange. When I was using my unit as a heater all the time she didn't care at all. All of a sudden I can't use my unit anymore. Plus 28 degrees is not very cool. I could understand not lower than 25 but I'm just curious. I've never heard of a 28 degree limit thing.

Anyone know about this 28 degree thing?

Yeah, I think that it's a cost thing. I've heard of students using the ACs and then paying their host family extra money. I think that's a little strange, though.

Just find an empty 2 l. bottle, fill it with water, and keep it in the fridge until the bottle completely freezes. And when it's bed time wrap it in a towel and you've got yourself a temporary cooler under your blanket.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSJup81 (Post 743458)

Too bad not everyone is like you and how everyone is different.:p

I was just thinking the same thing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 743461)

In my experience, people who love the heat / are comfortable at high temperatures tend to think they`re going to die or freeze to death in cold winters.

... I'm from Tasmania... not far from Antarctica.

Perhaps it is just some people are super pussy, but I handle all things well.

@ Tenchu- I can cheerfully say that I'm super pussy when it comes to heat. I can handle cold. Cold doesn't bother too much. I would much rather be freezing than over heating.

I've been thinking about freezing a bottle of water and wrapping it. I know that my host mom does that on occasion. But I will see what happens. I leave in August so I might not need to.

For me the reality is that I can handle heat well. I traveled to Bangkok this Feburary and due to the heat spend most of the time in the hotel. When I was outside I was miserable so I missed a lot of Bangkok.

As for my body acclimating, I'm not sure how long that takes of if it will ever happen but for now, using the fan is good plus opening the window. My host mother did mention something about mold and mildew but I don't think it had anything to do with having my window open.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyororin (Post 743351)

Fan death? In Japan? That`s silly. It`s a Korean thing. I`ve NEVER heard of anyone in Japan being afraid of dying by fan.

Nyororin, I have had lots of people in Japan tell me about the "fan death" thing- while the myth may have started in Korea, it is alive and well here as well. Japanese people are usually pretty surprised when you tell them that idea started in Korea!

Having said that, I agree that it is likely mostly a money thing, along with a belief the temperatures that cold are just not good for you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenchu (Post 743578)

I was just thinking the same thing!

... I'm from Tasmania... not far from Antarctica.

Perhaps it is just some people are super pussy, but I handle all things well.

Just a few posts up you were saying that when you lived in Phuket you used to put the aircon on 15 degrees...

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarasi (Post 744450)

Just a few posts up you were saying that when you lived in Phuket you used to put the aircon on 15 degrees...

I'll say this again:

I'm from Tasmania, not far from Antarctica.

How does this affect where I currently live?

concerning the cost of using different cooling equipment.
the air con is indeed expensive to use. however, a normal fan isn't too expensive. i had a look at mine, and it says 40W or 43W (depending upon where in japan you are) on max speed, so it is like a light bulb (the non-low-energy one) or less depending on speed.

when i was a student i used to use a damp towel as a duvet. worked fairly well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarasi (Post 744445)

I have asked about 10 people over the last 2 days, and not a single one has ever even heard of fan death. My husband has only heard of it because there was apparently a special on TV making fun of the belief in Korea...

Where are you that there are people who have not only heard of it but believe in it? The worst around here is the belief that it will upset your stomach or dry your skin out...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenchu (Post 744453)

I'll say this again:

I'm from Tasmania, not far from Antarctica.

How does this affect where I currently live?

I was talking about the apparent contradiction between this comment:

"But I usually turned it onto 15 (lowest temp), coz it reminded me of home."

and this, a few posts later: "I live in south Thailand with no air conditioner, only a fan. It isn't that bad. Harden up, people."

So you're saying that you used to use the aircon when you had one, but now you don't, you're quite happy without one. When you had one though, you did use it, and turned it way down, right? But you think other people should be tougher than that?

I know where Tasmania is by the way- I'm from Auckland.