The Yellow Dust is upon us. Yes, this is actually a thing and is referred to as "Asian Dust" in the wikipedia article, but is officially called Aeolian Dust. During the spring, dust storms kick up dry soil in Mongolia and Northern China that is then carried by wind all the way over to Japan. The reason it's a big problem is that the dust picks up pollutants from China before it heads this way. It can be especially bad for people with asthma or respiratory problems.
I didn't even know this sort of thing existed, but I happened to stay inside on the afternoon that it started blowing over. Drew had to travel to one of his schools by bike and relayed that our bikes were covered with a thin film of debris and that the dust kept getting in his eyes. Yuck!
I'm not sure how often the dust storms will come through Japan this spring season, but I'm starting to think I should invest in a mask.
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