

Itchy & Scratchy is funny on The Simpsons; not so much when they're raising a ruckus in your nether regions. Heat my shorts? Just the opposite, thanks to Japanese ingenuity in the form of Delicare-M's cream.



Delicare M's (the "M" is for Men) is a topical cream from Japanese pharmaceutical company Ikeda Mohando that features an added cooling ingredient. Sort of like Icy Hot without the hot part; something that should keep users singing a happy tune and not Great Balls of Fire.



Though by no means confined to Japan, the irksome inflammation and irritation Delicare M's is designed to soothe is exacerbated by the wearing of traditional "salaryman" business suits in overcrowded subway trains during Japan's rainy season and humid summer. In other words, the country's weather provides a Perfect Storm for what some like to call Jock Itch.

You may have thought the Japanese government's annual adoption of the Cool Biz informal clothing campaign was driven by fears of global warming... more like fears of warmer globes.

Not only business types are affected, either; this sweaty summer scrotal scourge is suffered by sportsmen, professionals, everyday Joes and more who are all desperately seeking some relief. Don't believe it? Check out this somewhat bizarre TV commercial for Delicare M's, c/o Japan Trends:







As mentioned, neither personal itchiness nor the various remedies for it are exclusive to Japan; what's interesting (and often amusing) is the way different cultures deal with issues that are seen by some to be, well, sensitive. (via Japan Trends and Le Japon et le Néant)