TOKYO -- As yellow dust is observed across various regions in Japan, one eyewear store is urging people to take proper care of their lenses.

Megane no Matsuda Co., an optical shop in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, stated on its official X (formerly Twitter) account March 25, "Dry wiping yellow dust off the lenses of glasses can cause scratches." The company has apparently been issuing such warnings during periods when yellow dust is prevalent.

Yellow dust refers to a phenomenon where fine particles of soil and minerals are lifted to altitudes of several thousand meters in arid regions such as deserts in the inner regions of mainland China, and carried by westerly winds to Japan and elsewhere.

The firm's president, Toshiki Matsuda, advises against wiping yellow dust off glasses with a cloth, clothing sleeves or neckties, describing this as "taboo." Such actions can apparently result in a condition similar to sanding the lens surface. Instead, he recommends, "Rinse off the yellow dust with tap water and wipe the moisture away with a clean, soft cloth." He suggests similar water rinsing to remove cedar pollen and other pollen from lenses.

(Japanese original by Ei Okada, Digital News Group)