Berliner Tageblatt - Japan suffers heat 'disaster as cities hit by 'cruelly hot' days

Heatstroke alerts were issued across almost the whole country and emergency officials said at least 14 people had died from heat-related causes in the past week.

Three central cities logged scorching temperatures on Tuesday above the new threshold, called "kokushobi" and which translates to "cruelly hot day", according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Large areas, including the central hub of Nagoya and communities near Tokyo in the east, were enduring temperatures approaching or above 40C on Wednesday.

The new term was designed to draw greater public attention to heat-related warnings, although it does not trigger any official measures nationwide.

The JMA has issued heatstroke alerts in 41 out of Japan's 47 prefectures, urging the public -- especially the country's many elderly -- to take steps to stay cool.

Almost 11,000 people sought emergency medical care in Japan in the past week, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Fourteen of those were pronounced dead upon arrival, the agency said, adding that the public must regard the extreme heat as a "disaster".

"Temperatures have been rising since mid-July, and severe heat is expected to continue nationwide," the disaster agency said.

"It is no exaggeration to call this extreme heat a 'disaster' with many people being rushed to hospitals or even dying as a result of heatstroke," it said.

Minoru Kihara, the government's top spokesman, said Tokyo was attempting to ease the impact of the extreme heat with measures that include installing air conditioners in school gyms and pressing businesses to adhere to sound workplace practices.

Japan experiences about 1,300 heat-related deaths annually and is aiming to halve that number by 2030, he said.

"We ask all citizens to check the status of heatstroke alerts in their local areas, use air conditioners and other cooling devices appropriately to stay in a cool environment, and frequently drink water and take some salt," Kihara said.

"We urge everyone to take these life-saving precautions."

In the rural Tochigi region, north of Tokyo, an 85-year-old man was found collapsed inside the greenhouse of his farm on Tuesday. He was later confirmed dead, a local fire spokeswoman told AFP.

"The greenhouse was extremely hot inside," she said.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in Japan and elsewhere.

Japan sweltered through its hottest summer on record last year.

Its highest recorded temperature was registered on August 5, 2025, at 41.8C in Isesaki, north of Tokyo.

C.Kovalenko--BTB