Dry winter in Japan

hi all, im traveling to osaka / kyoto next month for the first time in winter, and i heard people saying that it is gonna be very drying. So i thought of bringing my own air humidifier as my airbnb stay doesn't provide.

Any recommendation on any specific air humidifier i can buy (at my home country Malaysia) or at Japan? Looking for a budget and small one (travel friendly). And also will warm mist be better than cool mist here?

I am also planning to get some face masks, where can i get them at Japan? available at all convenience stores? Thanks!

Hello.
It is very dry in winter in Japan.
Masks can be purchased at convenience stores.
Small humidifiers have something to fit on plastic bottles. It's very cheap.

As it is cold, I would avoid using a humidifier as it will feel colder...

It also isn't THAT dry. Just not rainy.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

You can get something like this,
https://goo.gl/Dq3tn7
It is a portable PET bottle Top humidifier and it run on USB power, so you can even use it back in Malaysia.
Price start from 1,XXX yen and available at any big electric store in Japan.

Also remember that dry heat and dry cold are very different.

Being winter, even though is is dryer than summer. There is still moisture in the air due to frost/dew/snow etc.

I'm doubtful in winter you'll have an issue with the dry.

I want to be you guys and feel that "it's not that dry", for me dryness in winter is terrible here. I get really dry skin on my face and hands, chapped lips, throat ache.
OP, if you are used to humid weather, yes by all means use a humidifier. Here in japan you can buy small ones at electronics shops, even very simple ones that you can use with a regular 500ml bottle of water. If you buy one in your home country it might not work here since the voltage might be different.
I also always carry hand lotion and lip balm with me. Face masks or even hard candies would be good for your throat.
Have fun :)

Along the Pacific coast, it is generally extremely dry; often below 20%.
Along the Sea of Japan coast, on the other hand, humidity is almost always near 100%.

It does not matter much what the relative humidity is outside, you are making it more dry by heating that cold air indoors. The cold air cannot contain as much water as warm air, so the air is drier to start with. And when you heat that air using a heater, then the relative humidity goes way down. Buy a humidifier (or if you have a kerosene or wood burning heater, put a kettle full of water on top and let the water evaporate).

When I'm in Japan in the winter, my hands crack badly - lots of tiny cuts. This may be different food ingredients, the dry cold, or a mix of the two. I wear plastic 'disposable' gloves at night (and under my gloves, outside, during the day, if necessary). They trap sweat, softening your skin more effectively than any hand cream.

If you want to buy a *mains* humidifier, get one in Japan, as the power/sockets will be correct. I'm not sure I'd want to use a battery-powered humidifier, as they may get through a lot of batteries.

Don't leave anything electrical on (or charging) in an AirBnB apartment, unattended.

Face masks are easy to buy in JP, but I usually buy a box of very cheap ones in the UK before I go as they don't weigh much and I can use one on arrival if needed. In winter they are great for keeping your nose warm and may ease chapped lips. If you want fancy/fashionable ones, Japan is the place to get them, but they will cost more.

Thank you all for all your kind and useful responses, appreciate them.

I've been to few winter places and had a bad one during my time in Beijing having very drying winter too and hence would need to get myself prepared this time haha.

I will purchase both the air humidifier and facial masks as recommended by our fellow friends here. Will also try to generate more moisture in the room via all methods possible haha. Cheers!

Beijing is a little different though as it is 150km away from the ocean. If would be a lot dryer than most major Japanese cities.

When I'm in Japan in the winter, my hands crack badly - lots of tiny cuts. This may be different food ingredients, the dry cold, or a mix of the two. I wear plastic 'disposable' gloves at night (and under my gloves, outside, during the day, if necessary). They trap sweat, softening your skin more effectively than any hand cream.
David(UK), this is very good advice! I also get a huge lot of skin cracking especially around my fingernails, and that's 100% due to dryness in my case. I will try sleeping with plastic gloves as well and see if I get any improvement :)

Definitely not necessary to bring one from your home country but yes you will want to bring a humidifier as it is very dry in Japan during the winter time. Go to Don Quijote because you'll find decent quality humidifiers for cheap. And there are Don Quijote shops all over Japan.