“CRUELLY HOT”
Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events around the world.
In 2025, Japan saw its hottest summer on record.
This year, the weather office began using a new word – “kokushobi” or “cruelly hot day” – when temperatures hit 40°C, urging the public to treat extreme heat like a natural disaster.
Tokyo alone recorded almost 120 heat-related deaths in the month to mid-August, while close to 63,000 people nationwide this summer needed emergency care.
Since last year, Japanese businesses have faced tougher legal requirements to help employees toiling in the heat.
Building sites, for example, must provide workers with suitable clothing such as jackets with built-in fans, as well as air-conditioned break rooms and canopies to ensure shade.
A new initiative introduced this year allows bureaucrats in Tokyo to come to work in shorts – a groundbreaking move in a country where formal business attire still rules.
The impact of rising temperatures on businesses in the world’s fourth-biggest economy is real.
A survey in July by Teikoku Databank found that 50 per cent of companies said intense heat had disrupted their operations.
Almost 88 per cent said they had upgraded efforts to help workers cope with the heat.