Photo/Illutration Male flowers of cedar trees in Ome, western Tokyo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has declared “war” on a springtime nuisance that brings misery to millions of people.

The central government is taking the initiative to reduce “kafun-sho,” a pollen allergy, which makes spring the most unbearable season for hay fever sufferers in Japan. 

“It is our nation’s social problem,” Kishida said on April 14 at the first ministerial group’s panel meeting to discuss the government’s policy on the allergy.

“I want (the central government) to draft effective measures and quickly execute them in order to show tangible results to resolve the problem,” Kishida said, urging the related ministries and agencies to provide an entire scope of such measures by June.

The pollen allergy problem “cannot possibly be resolved overnight and it requires a long-term approach,” the prime minister added.

Kishida said he expects the central government’s policy to include measures for next spring’s allergy season as well as measures looking ahead 10 years.

He listed several major items to be included in the expected policy: develop a plan to increase the pace of cutting cedar trees by the public and private sectors; expand demand for domestic wooden materials; replant trees that produce less pollen; improve the pollen forecast system by using supercomputers and artificial intelligence; and create an environment to promote definitive therapies such as sublingual immunotherapy.

Kishida expressed his eagerness to set up a panel to deal with the pollen allergy at a meeting of the Upper House Committee on Audit on April 3. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno is chairing the panel.

At the first meeting, agriculture, environment, science, health, economy and infrastructure ministers were in attendance.

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