Japan 1 fn mix audio

[00:00:00]  Aaron Goodman: You are listening to the Chemical Sensitivity Podcast. I'm Aaron Goodman. In Japan, some research has shown that many people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) associate the onset of their illness with exposure to fragrance in personal care products, laundry products, including fabric softeners and in public spaces.

[00:00:27] Some are forced to leave their jobs. Others can no longer attend school, and many struggle to access medical care or even safe housing. Yet despite the profound disruption to people's lives, MCS remains poorly understood and often visible. Is Japan facing a multiple chemical sensitivity crisis? Today's guests bring firsthand insight into this urgent question.

[00:00:56] Yasuko Kato is a journalist and director of the Life-Environmental Network, a self-help organization supporting people with MCS and electromagnetic hypersensitivity. For decades, Yasuko has documented environmental health risks and advocated for those affected. I'm also joined by Sekyoung Jung, a research fellow and PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Tokyo.

[00:01:24] Sekyoung’s research focuses on MCS and examines how people with illness navigate stigma, barriers to care, and the struggle for recognition. Together, Yasuko and Sekyoung help us understand the scale of MCS in Japan,  the substances driving it, and what this may reveal about a growing public health challenge. 

[00:01:50] Some exciting news.The podcast has a new webpage. It's listen dot chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org. It's easy to share with anyone in your life, including doctors, employers, family members, and others who may want to better understand chemical intolerance and MCS. Please find and subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts and to learn more.

[00:02:15] You can follow the podcast on YouTube, Facebook X, Instagram, blue Sky, TikTok, and LinkedIn. And you can reach me at aaron@chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org. Thanks for listening. Well, Yasukoko and Sekyoung, thanks so much for joining me. 

[00:02:33]  Yasuko Kato: Thank you for having me. 

[00:02:35] Sekyoung Jung: It's my pleasure. 

[00:02:37]  Aaron Goodman: Would you like to start by perhaps briefly introducing yourselves?

[00:02:42] Yasuko, would you like to start? 

[00:02:45]  Yasuko Kato: Okay. I'm a journalist and director of a self-help group for people with multiple chemical sensitivity and electromagnetic hypersensitivity, right environmental network. As a journalist, I have been writing about an nature protection usage after I got sick. My main subject, uh, environmental factors and health problems.

[00:03:17]  Aaron Goodman: So you've been a, a journalist for quite a long time. 

[00:03:21]  Yasuko Kato: Yes, about 40 years. 

[00:03:24]  Aaron Goodman: Do you want to talk about your lived experience with MCS briefly? 

[00:03:31]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. I had got MCS in 1999 and had complicated electromagnetic hypersensitivity in 2002. I have been suffering severe and after I had took the newly prescribed drug, my MCS had begun. When I exposed to tobacco, exhaust, gas and detergent, I experienced palpitation and headache. My symptoms became more severe as time passes. I have been almost sick in bed for some months.

[00:04:24] I avoided chemicals and took vitamin and minerals. Then my got better little by little in three years, then I got electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Now I am weak to not only chemicals, but also electromagnetic radiation and low frequency noises. 

[00:04:50]  Aaron Goodman: Mm, very challenging and Sekyoung.

[00:04:58] Sekyoung Jung: So since 2021, I've been interviewing people in Japan who livs with MCS, and I forgot to introduce myself. My name, my name is Sekyong Jung from Korea and studying in University of Tokyo, Japan, and my major is sociology. So I am interviewing people with MCS in Japan, and my research focuses on how their experiences are often questioned or not fully recognized, and how patients work to make their condition visible and understood.

[00:05:40] Based on this work, I completed my master's thesis titled The DE Legislation and Resistance of Experience in MCS. And also I have submitted a journal article that explores the invisibility of MCS and how people navigate the space between being seen as a patient and being treated as a victim. So far, I interviewed about 29 patients and I'm currently analyzing the data as I prepare my doctoral dissertation, and I've also presented at academic conferences about the operation and closure of a patient care facility in Japan, as well as ongoing anti-fragrance activity in Japan civil society. I 

[00:06:35]  Aaron Goodman: thank you. It's very impressive and very interesting, and I want to know why did you choose to focus your research on MCS when you could have chosen any illness or any issue?

[00:06:51] What drew you to CS? 

[00:06:54] Sekyoung Jung: Thank you for your question. My interest is in this topic is also deeply personal. During menopause, my mother began experiencing a range of symptoms like nausea and headaches, something like that. And at one point she suddenly started reacting to things like car exhaust and food adjectives and cosmetics.

[00:07:23] As a result, um, my mom had difficulty eating and lost more than 10 kilograms, so I've also had my own experiences that made me more aware of these issues. Over the first few years I began to develop these symptoms. For example, I have developed migraines triggered by cigarette smoke from people passing by on the street, and as well as by perfumes and fabric soft nurse used by classmates.

[00:07:57] Once I even felt nauseous and vomited after being exposed to strong perfume sense on the subway, and these kind of personal experiences led me to ask a simple but important questions. Um, what happens when an illness is rare for patients but remains invisible or misunderstood by society? 

[00:08:21]  Aaron Goodman: Misunderstood. And you mentioned, uh, the difficult situation you face and your mother faced. Do you consider that this is MCS for you? 

[00:08:34] Sekyoung Jung: Uh, yeah. I think, um, I am not diagnosed yet, but I cannot deny I am free from MCS. 

[00:08:45]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:08:46] Sekyoung Jung: So, you know, it happens to women. And I think there might be a possibility for me to, to get MCS like my mom did.

[00:08:59]  Aaron Goodman: How much of a problem is MCS, do you have a sense of how many people in Japan live with MCS and is it a growing problem?

[00:09:17]  Yasuko Kato: In Japan, a professor [name to come] estimated MCS among Japanese adult to be 7.5%. In 2015, an associate professor [name to come] at Mahi College of Nursing recently conducted a questionary survey of 10,000 children and estimated approximately 10% of children experienced health problems due to fragrance. The rate of poor health increased.

[00:09:58] My symptom was headache, stomach che, and muscle pain. His research was widely published in Japanese media last year in. Japan MCS was recognized as disease, but MCS specialist is very few. I, uh, I conducted a questionnaire survey in 20 12. I, I found 10 specialists in all of Japan. So many patients has symptoms and they cannot go to hospitals and they cannot get medical treat. So many people are suffering in their residences. 

[00:10:59]  Aaron Goodman: How do most clinicians, doctors, healthcare professionals respond?

[00:11:09]  Yasuko Kato: Specialist MCS specialist is very limited. In Japan, for example, even when I got sick, it's difficult for me to receive medical treatment. Fortunately, I have a dentist who understands MCS and EHS so I can get dental care. However, I leaked battery to the medication used in eye exam, so I can't even undergo basic test.

[00:11:42] When I went to surgery after in injury, the medication caused me severe palpitations. The nurse knew about MCS. Confirmed my palpitations and let me rest in bed, but the doctor dismissed it saying There is no way that medication should cause such a reaction.

[00:12:09] Also, MCS recognized as medical condition in Japan. There are very, very few specialists, probably some national hospitals had. Chemical free examination rooms for MCS patients, but these rooms were removed due to high maintenance costs.

[00:12:35]  Aaron Goodman: Do you see it as an urgent public health situation? 

[00:12:42] Sekyoung Jung: Yes, I think it is a urgent situation in Japan because, um. There is no official, um, searching and studying is going on about the numbers of people who are suffering from MCS. But I can see many people who are suffering from fabric softeners and fragrances, and especially fabric softener is a big problem in Japan.

[00:13:16] And when I, um, get on the train to commute, I cannot breed. I cannot read from the, fabric softener. So, and I feel sometimes headaches. And also I heard there are many, um, children who feels headaches or some uncomfortable, uh, inside their classroom because all of all children, like 30 or 40 children.

[00:13:48] Everyone use fabric softner. So they gather together in the classroom and they close windows and they spend their old times like over seven to eight hours in the classroom. So they, the, uh, air quality will go down, of course, because of fabric softeners, but. Even though the children says it is really, um, uncomfortable and feels bad from the smell of every softeners, but no one is listening for them.So I think it is a big problem in Japan. 

[00:14:31]  Yasuko Kato: Mm-hmm. 

[00:14:32]  Aaron Goodman: There are so many questions I have about fabric softeners and their impact on health.

[00:14:44] When we go to the grocery store in North America, there is fabric softener for sale, and it has a very powerful smell. But I think there's something unique about the products that are sold and advertised in Japan. 

[00:15:01] Sekyoung Jung: In Japan, it's very humid, so we sweat a lot and there is a cultural background also.

[00:15:13] The problem, I think because we think be clean is very, very important to meet with others in the weather are very humid, so even. It is very easy to get sweat in the winter because of, of the humidity. So people always care about their smell from them. So especially the people who working at service area, like, you know, delivering or the nurses in the hospitals or teachers or um, the people who are working at groceries, they don't want people.

[00:15:58] Feel the smell from their body. So they put a lot of fabric softeners so people think it is a good manner for others. So, and they put softeners like almost every day when they wash clothes. So. Uh, as you know, actually the scent, the smell from the softener is getting stronger because the, uh, companies make something special.

[00:16:31] Techniques to, you know, stay the scent longer. In the end, the scent getting longer by the companies and people use them every day makes a big. Kind of a resort. It smells really, really strong than any other countries I feel. 

[00:16:49]  Aaron Goodman: That's what I understand too, that entire neighborhoods are often filled with the smell of fabric softener.

[00:16:59] And it is the case yes ago that people sometimes, even when they close their windows, in their own homes, they cannot stop the fragrance from coming into their own homes. 

[00:17:18]  Yasuko Kato: Yes, yes. Many people are, suffering. Neighbourhoods use fragrance. MCS people cannot open the window because fragrance came into their house.

[00:17:38]  Aaron Goodman: Can you help me understand a little bit more about the nature of fabric softener in Japan, how they're used in North America? We often, uh, use electronic dryers to dry the clothes and people put a fabric softener. A piece of material that's very scented and toxic, and then that it heats up and it's emitted through the dryer vent, and that's what fills the air outside of the home.

[00:18:12] And that smell can cover a great distance. But in Japan. Do people use dryers or is it in mixed with the water? When it, the clothes are washed with water. How does it work? Sek, can you help me understand? 

[00:18:31] Sekyoung Jung: People just hang their clothes after when they wash it outside. As you know, the houses neighbors are very close together, each other and very condensed.

[00:18:47] So I can just feel the smell from the next doors easily. And there is no wall between my house to neighbor’s house. Uh, there is only slight plastic walls exist between me and neighbors because in the. In the situation of emergency, we have to, um, break the walls and we can run away to be safe place. So that's how, uh, Japanese houses are made of, so it's really easy to come in all the smells from other neighbors. When I open the window and even though I close the window, it is, you know, there is, um, space, so air is coming in. So there is no way to run away from softeners away when I stay in the city like Tokyo or Osaka, something like that. 

[00:19:51]  Aaron Goodman: Yeah. And you mentioned the cities where I understand fabric softeners are a big problem, but I also understand that the countryside and smaller communities and villages close to nature are also impacted by this. Is that right, Yasuko? 

[00:20:11]  Yasuko Kato: Yes, it's right. In the countryside there are many problems without fragrances, for example, smoke or …

[00:20:24] Sekyoung Jung: Pesticides.

[00:20:26]  Yasuko Kato: Pesticides. Yes. Pesticides. And fabric softener. In Japan, public softer is as problem. For example, America, United States has a smart labor system. Consumers can research hazardous or chemicals, but we cannot have this system. 

[00:20:55]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:20:56]  Yasuko Kato: We cannot access, uh, information, uh, access to hazards information.

[00:21:05]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:21:05]  Yasuko Kato: And if you restricted 82 chemicals as Oregon and some, uh, countries will, will be follow them, but Japan never adapted the precautionary principle. 

[00:21:27]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:21:28]  Yasuko Kato: For example, uh, reproductive toxin was banned in EU and some countries, but Japan continue to use some of their products. 

[00:21:50]  Aaron Goodman: What is the name of that specific product please?

[00:21:53]  Yasuko Kato: R case number 80 45 5 54 6. 

[00:22:02]  Aaron Goodman: And this is a chemical in fragrance? 

[00:22:06]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. Fragrance. 

[00:22:07]  Aaron Goodman: Is that what's in fabric softener? 

[00:22:11]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. 

[00:22:12]  Aaron Goodman: So do we know what the most harmful chemicals are in fabric softener, or do we have a sense of what these are?

[00:22:25]  Yasuko Kato: In Japan, we can check the manufactured form page website and fragrances are named. And we can check the, government side, the risk of each chemical. 

[00:22:59]  Aaron Goodman: Mm. 

[00:23:00]  Yasuko Kato: Uh, Japanese government had a safety of workplace website. We can check there. Name of chemicals and hazard. 

[00:23:18]  Aaron Goodman: Hmm. We can check on the government website, but it's not listed on the product itself, correct? 

[00:23:28]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. Uh, yes. We can each access each chemicals, but what product is. We cannot understand all the manufacturers open information of fragrance name. They disclosed which chemicals are used in fragrance, but that's only if American Smart System. We can check each chemical’s risk on manufacturer's site. Manufacturer disclosed every information on chemicals, but we can access to government's website to find out the risk of fragrance.

[00:24:38]  Aaron Goodman: So there's a lot of work that needs to happen to find out. Yes. And it's not easy for, for the average consumer to do that kind of work, would you say? 

[00:24:50]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. That's right. 

[00:24:52]  Aaron Goodman: Do you think more and more people are coming to an understanding that fabric softener is, is not a great thing? 

[00:25:04] Sekyoung Jung: Unfortunately, no, I don't think so.

[00:25:07] Even though it is kind of a successful, uh, civil movement in Japan. Um, they are raising kgi movement in Japan, so they are raising a lot about using fabric softeners to the people in Japan. But almost all, all people think it is clean to use fabric softener than not using it. So people. Don't want to stop using it.

[00:25:36] So I feel really sad about this. 

[00:25:40]  Aaron Goodman: I think it is very sad because Japan has such a, a wonderful natural smell.

[00:25:46] Sekyoung Jung: And actually, many patients who interviewed with me telling that even though they are living, living in rural area, they can smell the fabric softeners from the, the water when they use, when they cook or when they use water from from the facility they have inside their houses — tap water — they can feel the smells from the tap water too, even though they are, you know, really far away from the cities. 

[00:26:18]  Aaron Goodman: And have there been studies that have connected the chemicals in fabric softener to MCS?

[00:26:29] Mm-hmm. 

[00:26:31]  Yasuko Kato: Okay. A professor [name to come] states that 70% of MCS patient reports that their MCS began with very fragranced products, such as fabric softerner and detergent. 

[00:26:52]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:26:54]  Yasuko Kato: Previously,sick  building syndrome was focused on in Japan. 

[00:27:03]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:27:04]  Yasuko Kato: Now, uh, main concern of MCS has shifted from building materials to fragrance.

[00:27:20]  Aaron Goodman: I think it would be interesting to talk a little bit about the impact of these products on people in Japan. And Sekyoung, I believe in one of your studies you showed or you learned that of very high percentage of working people had to leave their jobs. Because of their experiences with MCS? 

[00:27:49] Sekyoung Jung: Yes. Actually, I heard many episodes about how difficult it is to work. For example, patients face serious challenges in the workplace. Some have raised a concern about fragrance products commonly found in offices such as air fresheners in restroom, and this tree washing detergent in kitchens or hand sanitizers, but their request for the change were often ignored.

[00:28:23] And also in some cases, patients ask colleagues to reduce the use of perfumes or fragrance, fabric softeners. But they were told by supervisors that it bothers others a lot. So they had to quit in the end, their job. And um, also, there are many examples from the education sector. One patient who worked as a teacher.

[00:28:54] Suffer from those favorite softeners from the children. So the teacher bought the fragrance-free softeners and she bought them and gave it to the patients. And she write hand letters a lot, and she gave it to the people related to the school. But after all, her supervisor also said to her, it is okay that to tell that you are sick, but please don't tell the cause of your sickness is from the detergent because there are other parents who are working for the detergent companies.

[00:29:45] So we are teachers. So you are not allowed to tell about your causes of sickness. So that's, how is it, how it's going on in Japan right now? 

[00:30:02]  Aaron Goodman: Yeah. It sounds like there's a distance in the workplace from managers or employers. For change because yes. It sounds like they don't want to risk offending either people who use fragrance or people who happen to work for the companies. Is that right? 

[00:30:23] Sekyoung Jung: Yes. Right. In Japan society it is not favorable to make problems, so just be they want to be in peace without making any problems, suggesting any issues about their health problems.. 

[00:30:42]  Aaron Goodman: And in the meantime, it must be a daily struggle for millions of people, children. You mentioned 10% of children, millions of adults trying to just go to work and go about their day.

[00:31:01] Sekyoung Jung: They struggle a lot and they want to show that the MCS is not. The lie or the problem of their mind. So there are some patients who take pictures of her skin every day to show that, to prove that it is true that I have something going on in my body, which is called MCS. So they struggle a lot to prove that.

[00:31:36]  Aaron Goodman: It sounds like there is a lot of disbelief and stigma and psychologizing. Are people often told it's a psychological disorder? 

[00:31:47] Sekyoung Jung: Yes. Uh. There are patients who are forced to divorce because her family didn't believe the existence of the disease of MCS. And also there is a father who is not ill but his children got MCS, but he did not want to admit that his children got MCS, so he did not allow the children to use masks when they go out. It's kind of very sad to hear that. And also there are family members who pushed the patient to recover through her own willpower because they think it is the mind problem.

[00:32:46] Mm-hmm. 

[00:32:48]  Aaron Goodman: Yasuko, in your work in as a journalist and advocate, you've been working to create greater awareness about MCS. I'm interested to know more about the grassroots advocacy that you and others are doing. 

[00:33:09]  Yasuko Kato: I organized a self-help group in and have continued provide patient with information of barriers, environmental factors. I have also lobbied members of the diet and the Japan Federation of Associations to address their sensitivities. The Japan Federation of Associations have submitted a statement on opinion electromagnetic fields to the government. Now they are working on each of fragrances, the opinion papers. Does not have direct legal binding force. It can propose legal reforms and politics and stimulate social debates. 

[00:34:18]  Aaron Goodman: So what would greater government action look like? What, what do they need to do?

[00:34:27]  Yasuko Kato: I want to introduce program free policy like Canada or and America, United States, and fundamentally in Japan has lack of knowledge about reasonable accommodation. This is a new concept for Japan. So many people do not know, but it's reasonable accommodation for MCS patients. If people with MCS request a reasonable accommodation, many of them are rejected by misunderstanding. 

[00:35:19]  Aaron Goodman:. So at the moment, it sounds like there are no fragrance-free policies in Japan. Is that correct? 

[00:35:31]  Yasuko Kato: Yes, that's right. We need it. 

[00:35:35]  Aaron Goodman: You seriously need it. 

[00:35:41]  Yasuko Kato: And not even in hospitals or medical offices, some nurses have to resign their job due to fragrances. They ask to know fragrance environment in their hospitals, but they rejected. 

[00:36:00]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. And you mentioned before, I believe, that even nurses are often the, some of the people who often wear fragrance and use fabric softener. 

[00:36:13]  Yasuko Kato: Yes, that's right. And. One mother said when I asked for unscented products at kindergarten, they accused me of violating human rights and threatening to sue me.

[00:36:32]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:36:33]  Yasuko Kato: So I was supposed to leave. 

[00:36:36]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:36:37]  Yasuko Kato: Andsome children have to study at school where they cannot. Enter in their classroom by fragrance of as a classmate. 

[00:36:54]  Aaron Goodman: I want to ask you more about that. Can you talk more about how school children and students are affected by fabric softener? 

[00:37:05]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. For example, two brothers have to learn to study in another classroom with no classmates. They are studying with only two and they are separated, perfectly separated with other children. They are allowed to enter in their classroom from the window, because the main entrance is very high contaminated by fragrances with other children. They cannot use main entrance. 

[00:37:59]  Aaron Goodman: You cited 10% of children across Japan are having day-to-day challenges just going to school because of fabric softener and fragrance contention. 

[00:38:15]  Yasuko Kato: Yes, that's right. They are exposed to fragrance in school and public transportation. When they can do their home, they back to their home. They immediately wash their body to reject fragrance. But they cannot read textbook in their home. Paper was exposed to fragrance, that they're very contaminated and children cannot learn enough.

[00:39:05]  Aaron Goodman: It's very heartbreaking. It's, it's almost impossible to imagine the scale of the problem, but it is such a critical situation. More and more fragrance production, use, purchasing, marketing, and very little government action. 

[00:39:26]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. In Japan, building syndrome was focused. The government restricted [certain] building materials, but there is no restriction on fragrances.

[00:39:54]  Aaron Goodman: What do you think that is, Yasuko?

[00:39:59]  Yasuko Kato: Yes. We need new products and programs. The consumer products do not display GATS pictograms that indicatethe risks of chemicals used in the product. But in Japan, consumer products never show the picture. . . . For consumers whose workplace products had DATS pictograms, but it not short on consumer product. 

[00:40:55]  Aaron Goodman: Mm-hmm. 

[00:40:56]  Yasuko Kato: They same, uh, chemicals. They use same chemicals, but consumer cannot access correct information. 

[00:41:12]  Aaron Goodman: Yes. In your support group that you run, are people finding it a benefit?

[00:41:21]  Yasuko Kato: I am collecting information from people with MCS and EHS. We share the information via newsletter or homepage and we are collecting information and make better environment for us. 

[00:41:55]  Aaron Goodman: May I ask, if it's too personal, just let me know. But how has MCS impacted you, uh, as someone who's actively studying? And you mentioned you're going to complete your PhD. I imagine must be a day-to-day challenge as well. 

[00:42:14] Sekyoung Jung: Actually, I have many challenges every day. For example, there are many people just smoking outside on by walking, so it is really highly chances for me to get exposed by second smoking.

[00:42:37] So I am very concerned about it every day and when I go to school. There are many students wearing fragrances, including shampoo with strong smell, and they use all of them at the same time, so it smells very strong. And also in the toilet, public toilet in Japan, there is a hand sanitizer, which smells a lot so.

[00:43:12] I have to stop breathing when I go into the toilet sometimes, and especially after the Corona happened. I think there are more like people want to make it clean. So every single sanitizers have alcohols, including many chemicals of course. And also they want to make people. Feel good. I don't know, but they mix fragrances together with sanitizers. So there are many products like that. They're used, the products like that are used in the restaurant, so it makes me to feel uncomfortable to enjoy my meal in the restaurant in Japan. So I have to bring always masks or I have to finish my dishes. I, there are many patients who are suffering a lot than me, but also for me, it is not easy to go outside without worrying about, um, getting exposures from fragrances in Japan in outside and in indoor environments.

[00:44:32] Aaron Goodman: A lot of people who listen and watch this podcast are outside of Japan. Is there anything you'd like to communicate to folks about the situation there that we may not be familiar? 

[00:44:46] Sekyoung Jung: Yes, of course. I have two things to want to share with others outside the Japan. First is that my home country, Korea, is also suffering from the using fragrances.

[00:45:04] And, but it is kind of a little bit different Japan. Big problem is fabric softener, but in Korea, fragrances and diffusers, indoor diffusers are, are making a big problems between people, but lower recognition about the problem. There is a differences about the problem, but people want to exchange their information to make the recognition level higher.

[00:45:37] So I think these two countries can cooperate each other and. In Japan, they're the government, like Consumer Affairs Agency and the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economy joined together and they made awareness poster in 2021 in Japan. But the problem was like they were saying like.

[00:46:08] There might be a person who are suffering from fragrances, so it makes no sense to the patients who are suffering from fragrances. So patients got so angry about the poster that was made by the government in Japan. So the Japan government changed the word. There is a patient who are suffering from the fragrances, it means that still there is a doubt and between the people working in the governments about the MCS and they think there is no scientific evidences for supporting SIS, but I think the body of the patients, which is going through the pain every day, like every moment. Their body is the evidence for the MCS itself. So I think the government should be respectful about the experiences of the patient. Yeah, that's all. 

[00:47:14]  Aaron Goodman: Thank you. And Yasuko, is there anything you'd like to sharein closing about the situation in Japan?

e[00:47:25]  Yasuko Kato: Uh, Japanese government funds research on health hazards from MCS and fragrance, and has received research reports pointing out harmful effects of fragrances. However, when deciding policy, it has delayed action citing the lack of a clear mechanism for half health problem, but. It is time to introduce correct policy.

[00:48:00] For example, we need fragrance-free free policy and to save our children. Many children cannot go to school and praying with their friend in school. We have to stop this. In many countries, people with MCS faces the same challenges. I would like to cooperate with self-help groups overseas. Exchanging information and create environment with fewer environmental factor such as chemicals and electromagnetic fields.

[00:48:50]  Aaron Goodman: You've been listening to the Chemical Sensitivity Podcast. I'm the hosting podcast creator, Aaron Goodman. The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is by and for the MCS community. The podcast is generously supported by the Marilyn Brockman Hoffman Foundation and listeners like you. If you wish to support the podcast, please visit listen dot chemical sensitivity podcast.org.

[00:49:13] Your support will help us continue making the podcast available and creating greater awareness about MCS. To learn more about the Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, follow the podcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, and LinkedIn. And as always, you can reach me at aaron@chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org.

[00:49:34] Thanks for listening. The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast and its associated website are the work of Aaron Goodman made possible with funds from the Marilyn Bachman Hoffman Foundation, supporting efforts to educated and informed physicians, scientists, and the public about multiple chemical sensitivity.

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