logo
Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave

Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave

Japan Timesa day ago
The mercury is expected to hit dangerously high levels in Japan on Sunday, with weather authorities issuing heatstroke alerts in 19 prefectures nationwide, including this year's first for central Tokyo and Kanagawa.
With climate change driving up temperatures across the globe, Japan will experience a heat wave between Sunday and July 14 on a 'level only seen once in a decade,' the Meteorological Agency said last week.
The highest temperatures are expected to reach the mid to high 30s in wide areas of the country, including 37 degrees Celsius in Nagoya, 36 C in Fukuoka, Osaka and Kochi and 35 C in Hiroshima and Tokyo, according to Weathernews.
The Japan Association of Athletics Federations, which is holding its three-day national championship in Kunitachi, western Tokyo, shifted schedules for events on Sunday after doing the same on Friday and Saturday. It has delayed some events scheduled during the day to the evening hours.
The Japan Sport Association advises all sports events to be canceled when the heat index — which takes temperatures, humidity and solar radiation into consideration — reaches 31. Tokyo is forecast to see its heat index rise to 32 at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The summer heat has arrived ahead of schedule this year due to an early end of the rainy season in many parts of the country, particularly in western Japan. In the Chugoku, Shikoku and Kinki regions, as well as northern Kyushu, the rainy season was declared over in late June, which was nearly 20 days earlier than usual and the earliest on record, according to agency data.
Global warming has pushed up atmospheric air temperatures across the globe, the agency says, noting that the Pacific high-pressure system extending more strongly toward Japan and prevailing westerly winds meandering further north have contributed to the early end of the rainy season, which normally lasts through mid-July.
Japan experienced its hottest June ever, with the average monthly temperature being 2.34 C higher than the standard value, according to the agency.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

En garde! Japan-made glove takes fencing world by storm
En garde! Japan-made glove takes fencing world by storm

NHK

time11 hours ago

  • NHK

En garde! Japan-made glove takes fencing world by storm

Fencing is engaging people across Japan, and a glove from the nation's mitt-making heartland is playing its part. Japanese fencers are on the up. The national team won five medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024, including two golds. Interest in the sport has consequently surged across the country, and a fencing glove handcrafted in western Japan is sharing the limelight with the athletes themselves. Matsuyama Kyosuke, right, is a member of men's team foil which won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Matsuyama uses the Japan-made fencing glove. Half a century of expertise The glove is produced by Hosokawa Katsuhiro and his wife Kazue. Both in their late 70s, they have been making gloves for more than half a century. They delved into the world of fencing two decades ago, when their daughter took up the sport but couldn't find an overseas-made glove that fit. Hosokawa Katsuhiro and his wife Kazue Katsuhiro designs and selects the fabrics, and Kazue brings his ideas to life on the sewing machine. They have never taken part in the sport themselves, but Katsuhiro believes that allows them to be more receptive to advice, and break with convention. "We jumped into a completely new world, tried to listen as much as we could," he says from their workshop in Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture. Kazue says she appreciates her husband's inventive spirit ― but not so much his lack of financial prudence: "I admire all his ideas, although he doesn't care about costs!" Sewing a glove Every last detail considered International fencing has three disciplines, and the Hosokawas make gloves for two: foil and epee. In the latter, the entire body and the clothing are a target. The couple's design comprises more than 30 parts, all shaped for an optimum grip. The couple's gloves comprise more than 30 parts. The robust and slippery outer layer makes it harder for an opponent to score, while a protective fiber similar to bulletproof vests helps to safeguard against injuries. A breathable material in direct contact with the back of the hand ensures comfort during long matches. The epee glove has four layers that cover the back of the hand. The work is painstaking: together, Katsuhiro and Kazue produce just five or six gloves per day. But their efforts are now paying off with recognition. Many Japanese fencers use gloves made by the Hosokawas. They include Minobe Kazuyasu, a member of the men's epee team that won silver in Paris and gold at the previous Games in Tokyo. He regularly visits the couple to discuss his needs. Olympic gold medalist Minobe Kazuyasu is a big admirer of the Hosokawas' glove. "Their design allows for delicate movements without straining the fingers," he says. "And this lets me control the sword in a way no other glove can do." Minobe recalls using one of their gloves for the first time. "I was impressed right from the start. Like, 'Wow, they made a great glove!'" Flying the flag for Higashikagawa Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture Higashikagawa accounts for more than 90 percent of Japan's domestic glove production. Like many craftspeople in the region, Katsuhiro and Kazue initially operated as subcontractors for big manufacturers. But the Hosokawas are now exporting their own gloves to over a dozen countries. "The reputation of our gloves is driving our business," says Katsuhiro. The Hosokawas' products are on display at a glove museum in Higashikagawa City. Striving for perfection The number of people registered with Japan's fencing federation rose to a record 6,800 in 2024. Officials say inquiries at clubs nationwide have surged since the Paris Olympics. Fencing is booming in Japan. The Hosokawas know they will eventually have to retire, but now is not the time, when their work is in such high demand. And besides, Katsuhiro is still striving for the perfect design: a glove that suits every athlete. "I want to get one step closer," he says ― like a fencer, going for gold on the piste. Hosokawa Katsuhiro and Kazue

Magnitude 5.1 quake shakes Japanese island chain
Magnitude 5.1 quake shakes Japanese island chain

NHK

time17 hours ago

  • NHK

Magnitude 5.1 quake shakes Japanese island chain

A magnitude 5.1 quake shook Akusekijima, part of the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, early Monday morning. It registered a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to 7. The tremor followed two strong quakes that struck just six minutes apart on Sunday afternoon. They measured upper 5, or magnitude 4.9 and 5.5. The Japan Meteorological Agency is warning that more strong tremors -- possibly as intense as lower 6 -- could follow. Seismic activity has been intensifying in the region since June 21. The region experienced quake swarms in 2021 and 2023, but the latest is by far the most active. Authorities say that as of 4 a.m. on Monday, 1,578 quakes with an intensity of 1 or greater had been recorded in the current sequence.

Extreme heat grips Japan with more sweltering days ahead
Extreme heat grips Japan with more sweltering days ahead

NHK

time20 hours ago

  • NHK

Extreme heat grips Japan with more sweltering days ahead

Extreme heat continues to scorch much of Japan, with another sweltering day expected on Monday. Authorities are urging people to take extra precautions to prevent heatstroke. The Japan Meteorological Agency says temperatures soared on Sunday as a high pressure system settled over the country. Kuwana City in Mie Prefecture recorded a high of 38.3 degrees Celsius. Tokyo's Fuchu City hit 36.5 degrees, while Shari Town in Hokkaido reached 35.4 -- the first time this season that temperatures in Japan's northernmost prefecture have topped 35 degrees. It will be another hot day on Monday. Temperatures are expected to reach 38 degrees in Kyoto City, 37 in the cities of Osaka and Nagoya, 36 in Hokkaido's Obihiro City and 34 in central Tokyo. Heatstroke alerts are in effect for parts of eastern Hokkaido and many prefectures from eastern to southwestern Japan. Northern Japan can expect more of the same on Tuesday and Wednesday, and western Japan will see the heat last until around Saturday. Officials are reminding people to take water and salt, use air conditioning and take frequent breaks when working outside.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store