Different countries, different customs: while in Germany, for example, people tend to loosen their tie or leave it off altogether when it gets very hot, in Japan it is simply turned into a cooling cloth – in the form of cooling ties with small cold packs or special gel inserts sewn into them. Some have terry cloth on the side that lies against the neck, which also soaks up sweat.
Japan is in general considered particularly inventive when it comes to getting through the summer. Many of these methods at first seem unusual to Europeans, but they are based on simple physiological principles: from a scientific point of view, cooling the neck, wrists, armpits and groin is especially effective, because major blood vessels run close to the skin there. That is why Japanese cooling tricks can in fact achieve more than their slightly quirky appearance suggests to us.
Neck-cooling ice rings are also very popular in Japan. Cooling the neck area can reduce the sensation of heat in the whole body. A colour-coordinated towel around the neck, which is dampened from time to time, is often simply part of a summer outfit.
Tenugui cloths, small, thin traditional cotton towels that are moistened and worn discreetly under shirt collars, suits or hats, are also a common way of cooling down there.
