28 Degrees What?
 

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?

There are many things that cause psychological disorders of different kinds. It would be hard to guess unless you posted a more in depth profile of this psychopath.

All I can suggest is you lock your door at night. If there is no lock then try and jam it shut with a chair or something.

She might be a follower of this urban myth:

Fan death - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When I stayed with a friend in Japan in high school his mom got mad at me for leaving the cooler on all night, too. She said I could catch a cold and it wasn't good for me.

Do what she says and grin and bear it.

What did I say? Psychopaths. Secure the door at night. I wouldn't be surprised if these "accidents" were really well covered murders. "Revenge of the Electric Fan" - next Japanese horror movie.

Or things that never happened.

When in Rome...

When in Bangkok...

You gotta admit, but, believing things like this is not healthy...

The 28 degree thing is part of the Japanese government's "anti global warming" initiative- they recommend that all homes and businesses set their a/c no lower than 28 degrees in summer. I personally find this quite comfortable and anything lower than 28 to be too cold, but different people find different temps comfortable.

Your host mother is probably also concerned about her electricity bills- there is quite a difference in power consumption between 28 and 24 degrees, so you should probably respect her wishes here.

The "fan at night making you ill/killing you" thing however is a complete myth- tell her you are willing to take the chance, and that not sleeping will make you sicker.

It's a Korean urban legend. Every country has them. Healthy or not.

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.

I`ll be willing to bet anything that it`s really about the electric bill. There is a smaller belief that over-cooling your abdomen will upset your stomach, but seriously - everyone uses at LEAST fans at night. I think your host mother would have a heart attack as almost everyone in this building has their air conditioners on all night in the bedroom...

The biggest is a money thing. Electricity is extremely expensive, and the more degrees away from the actual temperature you go the more it uses. It is usually recommended that the AC be set to 2~3 degrees lower than the outdoor temperature - so if it`s 30~31 out, 28. Supposedly this is enough that you can feel the difference and feel significantly cooler.

To give a basic estimate on electricity costs, and why your host mother is probably worried - an older AC (8+ years) can end up costing 100/yen per HOUR of use if it`s set to 24 in 30 degree weather. 8 hours of sleep a night with the AC on for a month, and that is a seriously hefty bill. That`s the real reason people dread turning the AC on. Older units also used much more electricity for cooling than heating (It`s the opposite in newer models. I let my fingers turn blue before turning on the heater...)

She sort of sounds a lot like one of those women who believe in the "Save for Hawaii!" cult *cough* - I meant plan. There are countless books out there telling how you can save tiny tiny bits of money over long periods of time for the magical future "trip to Hawaii" that everyone apparently wants to take in their life. One of the big things they tell is to never set the AC over 14 in winter, and below 28 in summer. They also have hints on how to save 10 yen a month by micro-managing the exact seconds you have the refrigerator open, save up to 60 yen a month by washing and reusing plastic wrap, etc - all things that the effort is worth 10 times the monetary amount. But some older women go crazy with those things...

Yeah, we like to tell stories about the deadly Drop Bears (Koalas) to American tourists. LOL. Don't make me look up every time I walk under a tree, but.

Good points, Nyororin. "Fan Death" popped in my head (heck, maybe she has Korean relatives), but it is likely the money issues (though, health wise I always feel dried out after sleeping in a room with the AC on all night, no matter what temp.)

Well, when I was living in Phuket, my wife always turned it onto 28, as well. Probably should have mentioned that before. Yet it was not a superstition\retardation, it was simply a comfortable temperature. But I usually turned it onto 15 (lowest temp), coz it reminded me of home. Freeze my wifes arse off but.

Wow, tons of replies.

@sarasi- So that's where the whole 28 degree thing originates from in Japan. I was really curious because 28 seems like an odd number to stick your AC. Plus it doesn't seem like at least for me, very comfortable, but it's a different culture and attitude. I'm suprised because I guess I couldn't imagine anyone like telling people to not use their AC and people actually doing it. I don't think people would cooperate too much in the US for something like this.

I will definitely respect her wishes with the AC. I do understand that electricity is expensive and considering the fact that she's hosting me which already costs money, I don't think it would be kind of me to drive up her utility costs any more that I have too. I will grin and bear it. And start sleeping with the fan on and no blankets.

@Tenchu- The lowest I ever set it at was 23 which was comfortable for sleeping. If I used it during the day it was at either 24-25.

I've never heard of fan death. If anything I'm slightly worried about the cord overheating and causing a fire since the house and the fan are a but old. And I know there are no smoke alarms in the house. I'm from Seattle where people freak out if it hits 85 degrees Fahrenheit. I've never lived in a such a humid or hot climate before.


@Nyororin- I think it's really funny that you mentioned Hawaii cause my host mom took a one week trip to Hawaii in April and she's going to Switzerland in August. She travels a lot. She is older and does reuse plastic wrap. lol.

Sounds like you have a frugal host mom. If you want her to have good memories of your stay, please do what she asks. It's her home. Take a wet washcloth with you to bed and put it on your forehead. That might help you sleep.

I found that the fan has worked well so far but if it gets hotter than I will take your advice MMM and use a wet towel. I do want my host mom to think of me fondly after I leave.

Hm, must be the electricity thing. Out of curiosity, what part of Japan are you living in?I was about to suggest this. My mother told me that she did this when she was pregnant with me. That particular NY summer, it was hotter than usual, so at night, she'd wet a towel and drape it over her body to help her sleep at night. She said it did keep her pretty cool.

I have found in Japan in urban areas the temperature really doesn't cool at night in summer, but that little bit of air movement might help, so ask if opening the window is an option.

Probably not, as the humidity might lead to mildew, but worth asking.

Speaking of wet towels...
I know this will probably sound quite odd but here goes. :D

Try wetting the soles of your feet (with towel) when you get into bed, and have the fan hit them. It does wonders for making your body feel cooler than it actually is.

Haha this is very, very true..I've noticed it when i've been out camping before.

Are you serious?

This is Japan; I live in south Thailand with no air conditioner, only a fan. It isn't that bad. Harden up, people.

Tenchu, that's like telling someone who grew up in Florida, who had to move to...Washington DC, for example, and the temp is at like 50 degrees Fahrenheit to "toughen up", as the 50 to that person would be considered "cold". It probably takes a while to adjust to, especially if one isn't used to it.

The same can be said about those who grew up in cooler climates (like the OP being from Seattle) and then thrown into a place where it's hot and humid during the summer. I'm sure the OP will adjust sooner or later.

For where I am, it usually gets up to the 90s in the summer, although, so far, we haven't had many high temperatures for this year. I'm not fond of heat, and I use a fan at night all the time to help me sleep, as I sleep way better when in a cool/cold atmosphere (the air conditioner usually doesn't come on at night; it's set to come on once the temp in the house gets to 75 degrees Fahrenheit [That's about 24 degrees Celsius I think]). Anywho, we get the heat usually, but not the humidity as much, so for me, if moving to Japan, I'd have to "adjust" to the humidity.

I don't use my air conditioners much at all. I do use a fan. But I'm from Texas and my happy temperature is 85F. Anything colder and I freeze. Winter is the opposite, I have to run the heater or else bundle up so tightly moving is impossible.

Also, bah, metric. English System 4 lyfe. *gang sign*

Er, I don`t think it`s that horrible to want to feel cooler if possible?

Funny. For me, I rarely use heat since I like cold, as it's easier to warm up, than it is to cool down.

At times, since the rest of the family needs the heater in the winter, I usually close up my vent, and crack my window, and it could be 40 out. For me, anything below 80 is ideal. lol 70s work nice for me as well.

Yes, but you're talking about putting wet towels on your forehead and feet... that is pretty extreme for Japan. I wouldn't do that unless I was in the Gobi...

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

You're also not used to walking around in shorts on Christmas Day or seeing less than an inch of snow only every five years. I haven't adjusted, and after 24 years of living in one of the hottest states in the Union, I doubt a year and a half in Japan is going to have made me adjust!

The amount of snow in Japan floored me. Driving in it was frightening, and the fact my schools (I live in the mountains) have so much snow they have DORMS attached in case we get snowed in was just surreal. On the flip side, I finally had to have a real snow ball fight for the first time in my life. If that much snow showed up, the entire state would shut down. Schools sure as heck wouldn't be open!

I wouldn`t put a wet towel on my forehead, but wiping feet before sleeping doesn`t seem that extreme.
That said, I don`t think I`ve ever done it in Japan - only when I was little and had no control over fans/AC in the room.

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.

*raises hand*

Rationally, I know it would take very extreme temperatures to kill me, but certainly once you start pushing below 50F, I find it difficult to concentrate. If the temperature actually gets below freezing, I am pretty much unable to do anything but the most basic of tasks, and my body literally insists that if I can help it, I should do nothing but sleep.

I certainly can't do anything mentally intricate in very cold temperatures.

Hahaha. I don`t even own a winter coat. I had one, but never used it, and then we used it to wrap furniture when we moved and it tore. I never replaced it. All I have is a light jacket now for winter use.
Japanese winters are almost pleasant to me on the cold scale. Nagoya isn`t all that cold at all, nor is Fukui where we spend the most time away from home.

I do think I`ve gotten weaker to the cold living in Japan though - back before I moved here I didn`t even bother wearing a coat at all unless it was below freezing... And walking through the snow in a skirt didn`t even faze me.

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.

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.

@ 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.

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.

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.

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...

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.