冷え性

• Reading: ひえしょう
• Romaji: hieshō
• Kanji breakdown: 冷え (coldness, from 冷える = to become cold) + 性 (nature, tendency, constitution) → constitution prone to feeling cold
• Pronunciation: /çi.e.ɕoː/

Meaning

A chronic tendency to feel cold, especially in the extremities; poor circulation.

冷え性 is a health concept deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, where 'coldness' is considered the root of many ailments. It disproportionately affects women and is taken seriously by both traditional and modern medicine. Japanese culture has developed numerous remedies: hot baths, ginger tea, 温活 (warming activities), and wearing 腹巻 (belly warmers). Western medicine doesn't have a direct equivalent diagnosis, making this a distinctly Japanese health concept.

Examples

1. 冷え性がひどくて冬は靴下二枚重ねしてる。 My poor circulation is so bad that I wear two pairs of socks in winter.
2. 冷え性には生姜が効くって聞いて、毎朝生姜湯飲んでる。 I heard ginger is good for cold sensitivity, so I've been drinking ginger tea every morning.
3. 冷え性は万病の元って言うよね。 They say cold sensitivity is the root of all illness, right?

Usage Guide

Context: health, daily conversation, traditional medicine

Tone: matter-of-fact, sympathetic

Do Say

• 冷え性だから夏でもクーラーがきつい。 (I have poor circulation, so AC is too much even in summer.)
• 冷え性改善したいなら温活がおすすめだよ。 (If you want to improve your cold sensitivity, warming activities are recommended.)

Don't Say

• 「冷え性なんてたいしたことない」と軽く見ない — 本人は本当に辛い (Don't dismiss cold sensitivity as nothing — it genuinely affects quality of life)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking 冷え性 is the same as simply being cold — it's a chronic constitutional tendency, not a temporary response to weather

Origin & History

Compound of 冷え (coldness, from 冷える = to feel cold) + 性 (nature/tendency). A traditional Japanese health concept predating modern medicine, rooted in the East Asian medical belief that cold is a source of disease.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional concept, still very relevant

Generation: All ages, especially women

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. A distinctly Japanese/East Asian health concept with no direct Western medical equivalent. Deeply tied to traditional medicine and the cultural importance of warmth.