Prevent heatstroke and beat the heat with a product that’s been around for centuries. 

Every summer in Japan seems to be hotter than the last, and at this time of year social media posts are filled with hacks and tips on how to cope with the soaring temperatures.

One thing you won’t see influencers touting online, though, is a product that’s been helping locals beat the heat for centuries. Sure, it might not look “cool” in this day and age, but if you prefer practical solutions over fashionable ones, like our very own Mr Sato, then you’ll want to pick up a sugegasa.

These woven grass hats give you the temperature-lowering shade of a parasol, but allow you to keep your hands free for other things while you’re out and about. Plus, unlike a regular hat or baseball cap, it doesn’t trap heat, so it’s seriously good.

Mr Sato might have a reputation for fooling around, but he’s serious when it comes to the benefits of the oft-overlooked sugegasa. Only recently, he found himself out and about on a day when the temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and although he first went out wearing a cap, it did very little to relieve the heat, and barely even kept the sun off his face. As the cap was black, it absorbed the rays of the sun and warmed his head to such an extent that after walking down the street for 30 minutes he started to feel dizzy.

That’s when he remembered he had a sugegasa in the cupboard just waiting for an occasion like this, so after returning home to retrieve it, he popped it on and immediately felt an immense sense of relief.

The first thing you’ll want to do when wearing one of these is wrap a tenugui towel around your head because the stand inside, known as “gotoku”, which keeps the hat stable, can leave marks on your skin otherwise.

▼ This also prevents the gotoku from slipping and absorbs sweat, making the hat even more comfortable to wear.

After popping the sugegasa on your head and tightening the chin strap, you’re all set for ultimate sun protection. Whereas a baseball cap only has a visor in front, exposing your sides and back to the sun, the sugegasa covers you from all angles, shielding you from intense rays and even light rain if necessary, without the need for a parasol or umbrella.

The greatest advantage of the sugegasa, in Mr Sato’s opinion, is the space between the hat and your head. The gotoku creates this space, allowing a nice breeze to flow through so heat doesn’t build up.

▼ The breeze passing through the hat feels great!

Mr Sato can’t see any reason not to use a sugegasa, but he does admit some might find it bulky to carry around. His workaround is to tie the chin strings around your bag or backpack for ease of use.

This look turns a short walk around town into an old-timey traditional-style journey. You’ll feel like you’re a traveller on an ancient highway, before cars and electric handy fans existed.

We still have a way to go before summer lets up, so Mr Sato highly recommends seeking out a sugegasa to help you stay cool during the hottest days of the year. And if you thought it didn’t look fashionable, think again, because compared to the flatter and rounder sandogasa he purchased in 2023, the sugegasa looks like something that could make it into the pages of a fashion magazine.

▼ Sandogasa purchased in August 2023 (left), Sugegasa purchased in July 2024 (right)

Mr Sato has such a fondness for traditional items that he even went so far as to purchase a wooden comb from a specialist shop for 30,000 yen (US$202.95). Thankfully, a sedge hat like this won’t break the bank, as it can be purchased at stores like Amazon Japan for just 1,770 yen (US$11.97).

Related: Amazon Japan
Photos © SoraNews24
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