We love travelling to Japan. Tom and I have travelled there many times. Me as an exchange student in 1985, through to as a teacher in the 1990s and 2000s. Tom, as my assistant tour escort. These days, just as personal travellers catching up with many friends made over the years.

Unfortunately, with COVID, we haven’t been able to visit as much as we’d like in recent years. Our last trip was back in 2018. Visiting friends and host families, with a side trip to Shirakawago and Takayama with Chizuru and Miwato. Promises made to return in two years for the Olympic Games, a trip which, alas, did not eventuate.

Anyway, back to the story. Allergic to … Japan? Surely not. Having travelled often, and happily ticked “No Allergies” on many health forms in the past, this trip was to be different. After staying in Hotel Sanraku, Kanazawa, I woke to consistently dry lips, and a somewhat annoying itchy neck. Hmmm, the air-conditioning maybe? Mosquitos? An unusual hay-fever style reaction, despite not being susceptible to hay-fever?

We continued our tour of the area but getting itchier by the day. I persevered for the final few days back in Tokyo, but unfortunately, it progressively worsened, beyond just dry and itchy to a spreading reaction on my neck and face, and eventually swelling around the eyes. If you look closely at our travel snaps, you might notice a face a bit like … Deadpool! (Readers who don’t know the reference are encouraged to watch Ryan Reynold’s character’s face prior to wearing the mask in the entertaining Deadpool movie!)

Having a somewhat tight schedule of catching up with friends, we continued with our plans over the last days of the trip, although it was with sleep-less nights, and less-than-glamorous photos with friends where it was difficult to smile.

Friends were very considerate and encouraging. Some antihistamines helped – fortunately, as I was not keen to be held up at customs or immigration for a fever or contagious-looking allergic reaction!

Home again, and to my usual GP. The reaction cleared up over time, although the trigger was unknown. In my mind, it was something exotically oriental. A uniquely Japanese ingredient in a multi-course dinner? Perhaps, the tea with gold leaf we drank at Takayama?

Surely nothing as pedestrian as a hotel room that smelt like stale smoke. Perhaps, some mineral in a hotel hot spring bath. Yes, that must be it. I must be allergic to a random, unknown, exotic something in Japan!

Or am I? The journey continues …