🌏 What I'm thinking about today | 2026.07.18 Connecting to the future, a clean sky. 🌿

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July 18th is apparently "Photochemical Smog Day"☁️
On this day in 1970, in Suginami Ward, Tokyo,

the first mass health damage caused by
photochemical smog in Japan was confirmed😢
Children who were taking a physical education class

on the school playground complained of eye pain, throat discomfort,
headaches, and more, and many people were
transported to the hospital🏥💦
It is said that this incident triggered

the full-scale implementation of air pollution
countermeasures in Japan.
Photochemical smog occurs when nitrogen oxides (NOx)

and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from
cars, factories, etc., undergo a chemical reaction
due to strong sunlight (ultraviolet rays),
increasing substances called "photochemical oxidants"🚗🏭☀️

In addition to exhaust gas, smoke generated
from open burning and the like can also
be a source of these substances🔥

Thinking that a chemical reaction is quietly
taking place in the invisible air
is both mysterious and a little scary, isn't it😳

Eyes stinging😖, throat feeling scratchy😷,
head feeling heavy🤕.

Such small signs from the body
might be messages from the air.

Children, the elderly, and those with
respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible,
so on days when a photochemical smog advisory is issued,
it is recommended to refrain from strenuous exercise outdoors
and spend time indoors as much as possible🏠💛
These problems are not unique to Japan🌏

🇺🇸 In Los Angeles, USA,
photochemical smog became serious from the 1940s

along with the spread of automobiles,
and exhaust gas regulations were advanced
ahead of the rest of the world🚙
🇨🇳 In Beijing, China, air pollution from
factories, coal combustion, and automobiles

became a problem, but in recent years, improvements
have been made through various environmental measures✨
🇮🇳 In Delhi, India, exhaust gases from automobiles,
factories, and open burning overlap,

and it is still known as one of the world's most
air-polluted cities💭
Somewhere in the world, at this very moment,
there might be someone looking up at the sky

and worrying about the air quality😳
The things we can do are surprisingly close to home🌱

🚃 Choose public transportation
🚙 Reduce idling
🔥 Do not engage in unnecessary open burning
🏃‍♀️ Refrain from strenuous exercise on advisory days
😌 If you feel discomfort in your eyes or throat, don't push yourself

These are all small choices, but perhaps
the accumulation of them leads to protecting
the air of the future🍀

Air is usually invisible👀

That is precisely why we sometimes forget
how grateful we should be for it.

Being able to take a deep breath🌬️
Being able to look up at the blue sky🌤️

Such casual daily life might not be
something to take for granted after all🥹💕

I hope this note becomes an opportunity to gently
turn our attention to "things that are invisible,
but support our lives"🙏🌿

The things that are invisible might be the most important.

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