Value Village ／ Health
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
In Japan, ear cleaning is an established habit, and the bamboo ear pick (耳かき, mimikaki) is an everyday household item. Ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors, however, keep repeating that ear cleaning is basically unnecessary. Here is how earwax works, and what goes wrong (outer-ear infection, perforated eardrum).
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Role of earwax | Protects the skin and keeps out bacteria and dust. Mildly acidic and antibacterial | Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan |
| Natural clearance | Jaw movement (talking, eating) moves the skin of the ear canal outwards, carrying the wax with it | Same |
| How often to clean | Basically unnecessary. If you do: once or twice a month, no deeper than about 1 cm from the opening, gently with a soft cotton bud after a bath | Same |
| Types of earwax | Dry (about 70–80% of Japanese people) and wet (genetic). Wet wax builds up more easily and is better removed at an ENT clinic | Same |
| Problems | Cotton bud pushes wax deeper → impacted earwax (blockage); ear pick scratches the canal → outer-ear infection (otitis externa); child moves → perforated eardrum | Same; Consumer Affairs Agency |
| Removal at an ENT clinic | Covered by health insurance (earwax removal). A few minutes, painless | — |
| When to see a doctor | Muffled hearing, a blocked feeling, pain, itching that continues, discharge | — |
[Verify] Check the society's advice (frequency, depth), the dry/wet proportions and the accident cases against materials from the Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan and the Consumer Affairs Agency.
It is a protective film and clears naturally. Basically unnecessary; if at all, once or twice a month.
Cotton buds push wax deeper and cause blockages. No deeper than 1 cm from the opening.
The skin of the canal is thin, and scratches lead to inflammation. That "got some" feeling can be you scraping skin.
Children move, and eardrums get perforated. Take children to an ENT clinic (health insurance, a few minutes).
Trying to remove impacted wax yourself pushes it deeper. Have it removed at an ENT clinic (insured). If muffled hearing continues, see a doctor.
---
https://www.jibika.or.jp/owned/hp/
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/consumer_safety/child/
https://www.e-healthnet.mhlw.go.jp/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.
Tell us if this has changed
Approved contributions keep the contributor's name, shown in five languages.
Other languages：日本語 ／ 简体中文 ／ 繁體中文 ／ 한국어
Value Village is not a government body. Always confirm procedures on the official site.
Written by Value Village from public sources. Nothing here is reproduced from another site.