So I’ve come to visit Japan and I’ve only been here about 4 days now and I have a couple bug bites. At first I just figured they were from mosquitos but I thought it was weird because I’ve been wearing long pants with thick leggings under them that have feet connected so I’m not sure how they would’ve gotten in. Then today I noticed I had one that looks a lot more angry and red and hurts to touch whereas the others don’t hurt to touch, only when I itch. Is it normal to get bug bites like this? Also where can I get anti-itch ointment or something to help? I’ve looked at Lawson’s but I can’t seem to find anything that would help. Any help I can get with this will be greatly appreciated.
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maybe fleas maybe something, might be mosquitoes if u scratched it. check with a pharmacy for the itches
I am interested to know if you figure it out. When I was there this summer I saw a lot of tourists with huge red bites on their lower legs. No idea what people were getting into but it looked very uncomfortable.
I also got bitten (very badly) by insects while I was in Japan! I went to a nearby pharmacy to buy anti-itch ointment and insect repellent. For anti-itch ointment, I bought Muhi S after the recommendation of [this blog post](https://matcha-jp.com/en/4777). For insect repellents, there were no travel sized sprays or roll-ons left in the store, but the pharmacist helpfully pointed me to [Fumakilla Skin Vape Insect Repellent Wipes](https://int.japanesetaste.com/cdn/shop/products/P-1-FMK-VAP-HK-2-Fumakilla_20Skin_20Vape_20Insect_20Repellent_20Wipes_20Child-Safe_20Tick_20Repellent_2020_20Sheets.jpg?v=1696129824&width=1120). Both were very effective and luckily didn’t seem to get bitten afterwords.
look for a product called ムヒ (Muhi), at a drug store, not a convenience store.
i get a bad reaction with big swollen itchy bites from one type of mosquito here
It is possible they are bedbugs – I was bitten by them in my hotel in Tokyo just less than 3 weeks ago.
Have you inspected your lodgings to determine whether there are any indicators?
Have you been to a pharmacy?
It probably is mosquitos. They are relentless right now. I wear long pants and long sleeves, use insect repellent and they still get me. They have been biting my hands recently and all over my sons face.
You can buy bug repellent spray (Vape) but I feel like it has no effect these days. For your existing bites you can buy ムヒ(muhi) there are some ointments and also little patches to reduce itching and swelling.
Sounds like my reactions to mosquito bites since I moved here. They swell up super big and get very itchy. I second the recommendation that everyone else is saying by getting Muhi or Kinkan from a drugstore. And if you can, get an antihistamine from the drugstore too and take it, that helps my swelling a lot from the bites if I take one when I first notice the bite/swelling.
Both my girlfriend and I were bitten by mosquitoes in Japan this month. The bite mark made a raised area about the size of a quarter and was itchy for a week. I suspect the reaction is from us non-Japanese not having been exposed to whatever sauce the mosquitoes have there.
I got these when I visited and muhi S was recommended in other Reddit threads. I also learned that heating the bite up with a hairdryer causes the mosquito saliva to breakdown and it stops the itching.