Michael Cash wrote:
> On 30 Mar 2005 10:40:36 -0800, "John W." <worthj1970@yahoo.com>
> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
>
> >Eric Takabayashi wrote:
> >> "John W." wrote:
> >>
> >> > A friend of mine works for a prefectural government's office as
a
> >> > researcher and he said there's a growing belief that it's not
> >simply
> >> > the pollen but the pollen combined with pollution that's the
> >problem.
> >> > People who live in areas with lower pollution levels don't
> >typically
> >> > have the allergy, while urban areas are generally more affected.
> >> >
> >> > Personally I think the whole sugi allergy situation is kind of
> >> > fascinating, since it's such a home-brewed problem.
> >>
> >> I like the story of one researcher who claims that intestinal
> >parasites
> >> (worms) secrete some substance which protects its host from the
> >effects of
> >> pollen, and that the rise of allergies is linked to the decline in
> >> Japanese with worms. He prescribes ingesting worm larvae (up to
about
> >30
> >> were claimed safe) to combat the problem.
> >>
> >I've heard similar things before. Somewhere I saw that doctors are
> >experimenting with using leeches to heal burn victims because they
eat
> >the dead flesh and secrete something that's beneficial.
> >
> >What's interesting is that Japan's insistence on planting sugi over
the
> >years without much focus on biodiversity.
>
> Here in Kiryu someone spotted smoke billowing up from the mountains
in
> the north part of town and reported a forest fire. The fire
department
> dashed up there and discovered that what looked for all the world
like
> a forest fire was actually the fucking pollen blowing off the trees.
>
In all my life I don't think I've ever seen pollen blow that bad. I've
walked out and seen my car covered in pollen, but I've never seen it
blow in a cloud.

On Shoshazan it was a trip to see the pollen blowing like that. My
son's jacket had this yellow stuff all over it, and we were wondering
what the hell it was; turns out it was pollen that rubbed off when he
leaned against something.

John W.