There's a lot to do before a trip such as booking flights and hotels, checking your passport is valid, exchanging currency, getting a mobile phone SIM card, and so on. And if you are heading to Japan in summer, there is another important preparation needed.
It is "foot care"!
... You may be wondering why you need foot care for summer travel in Japan, but it is because there are many opportunities for you to be "footloose" when you are traveling in Japan.
TOP 5 common "footloose" situations on a Japan trip
1. Once you're on board your flight, you might immediately take off your shoes
When you are airborne, the change in air pressure will make your legs swollen. Some people will feel that their shoes are too tight and will take them off for the duration of the flight.
2. Summer sightseeing in sandals
Japan's summer is humid, so many people will just go out sandals and no socks. Of course, sandals are an indispensable fashion item in summer.
3. At accommodation and restaurants
It is likely that you are planning to spend at least part of your stay at a ryokan (traditional inn) and enjoy onsen (hot-spring bath). Unlike western-style hotels, you will probably have to take off your shoes at the entrance and use slippers in the public areas when you are staying in a ryokan.
Also, please bear in mind that there are many restaurants and izakaya (Japanese pub) that also require you to take off your shoes.
4. If you wish to experience wearing a yukata...
Recently, there has been a huge increase in the number of tourists who wear yukata to events such as summer festivals and fireworks festivals. Regardless of whether you are a woman or man, if you are wearing a yukata, you need to wear “geta” (Japanese clogs) to look the part.
5. Foot bath or hot spring experience
There are often foot baths at tourist spots or even on the train station platforms, and foreign tourists are getting more familiar with these facilities. There is an image that we use foot baths to keep ourselves warm in winter, but they are actually a great way to recover after long day on your feet in summer.
And it goes without saying that you need to take off your shoes when you are going for a hot-spring bath.
All this means some people who travel to Japan might be embarrassed if their feet are not well cared for before they depart, especially when it comes to the soles and heels. So we are going to introduce a couple of foot-care methods for easy exfoliation and odor control.
Baby Foot: Easy & Clean (Remove the dead skin without scrubbing)
There are many methods of foot care. For example, you can scrape them with a abrasive paper or apply a foot scrub. But there is an another easier way. Baby Foot is a treatment that effortlessly removes the dead skin of the soles of the feet. You just need to wear the booties for an hour to let the gel soak in, wash it off and after a few days the dead skin will peel off from healthy new skin underneath.
Product Information
Baby Foot Easy Pack 1,728 yen (Tax Included) *Selling price in Japan
QB Medicated Deodorant Cream: foot odor measures
The sole of the foot is the part of the body which sweats the most readily. Shoes and socks that are worn for a long periods while traveling will impede ventilation and get impregnated with sweat. And the smell will make you and those around you feel uneasy.
However, just by applying QB Medicated Deodorant Cream to the skin you can prevent odors. Even if your feet sweat at lot, any smell will be neutralized all day long.
Product Information
QB Deodorant Cream 6g 802 yen (Tax Included) *Selling price in Japan
In 30 to 60 minutes, you might be able to get your feet to look like this!
Look at the soles of your feet. Do they look as beautiful as the ones in this picture? If not, try to use Baby Foot or QB Medicated Deodorant Cream. Your feet will become as beautiful as these in a short time!
Foot heel care is very common in Japan. So inn order to avoid embarrassment, exfoliate your feet with "Baby Foot" before your departure, and use "QB" during your trip for odor control.
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