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boiling point

August 11, 2026

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Students sit under a misting system during recess at Hikarigaoka Haru no Kaze Elementary School in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, on Sept. 6.

Japan’s schools battle to keep kids cool, with or without AC

A construction worker in Tokyo's Akasaka district on Aug. 21. With 886 cases, 54 of them fatal, during the period from 2019 to 2023, the construction industry leads Japan’s tally for occupational heatstroke.

Clocking off: Japan’s hotter summers put limit on outdoor work

A member of the Self-Defense Forces wipes away sweat as he conducts a search and rescue operation at a landslide site caused by heavy rain in Kumano, Hiroshima Prefecture, on July 11, 2018.

Can Japan handle a heat wave and natural disaster at the same time?

The latest research indicates that heat stress is likely to worsen the condition of people with Alzheimer’s disease — which accounts for over half of all dementia cases in Japan — by making them more irritated or exacerbating their cognitive decline.

For aging Japan, a troubling link between heat and dementia

The students at Mitaka Municipal No. 7 Junior High School have access to various cooling devices for when they play sports.

Japan’s extreme heat is causing a rethink of school sports

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.

Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?

Summer in Japan is now consistently brutal enough to drive you indoors and keep you there until autumn.

When did summer in Japan stop being fun?

Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.

No AC this summer? No problem (for me).

A ward for heatstroke patients at a hospital in Chennai, India, in May. The country experienced a severe heat wave over the spring and summer, raising concerns about the long-term impact of climate change-induced extreme heat on human health.

Climate change: A health emergency in the making

For hundreds of thousands of people around the world every year, heat is deadly. In the U.S., it takes more lives than hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or floods.

Heat waves are deadlier than hurricanes. Make them ‘disasters.’

How the hard reality of climate change hit Europe’s economy this summer

Firefighters work on a burning area near Loumpa, as wildfires hit West Attica, Greece, on Aug. 3.

Italy’s record-low Po River forces farmers to weigh crop switch

A view of Gerola Bridge as the Po River's water level runs low amid high drought severity in Mezzana Bigli, Italy, on Aug. 6

As Japan’s concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix

People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.

Fijian rugby player dies after suffering suspected heatstroke in Japan

Rugby balls are seen on the field before a Six Nations match in Edinburgh, Scotland, in February 2020.

Heat waves expose overcrowding crisis in Europe’s aging prisons

An inmate looks out the window of his prison cell as he tries to stay cool during a heat wave in France last month.

MORE NEWS

Temperatures are soaring across Japan, making getting to sleep at night a constant battle between your body and the right setting for your air conditioner to help you nod off.

An ideal AC temperature for sleep? Science says yes ... and no.

Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.

How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet

A passerby holding a parasol wipes her face as she walks on the street amid a heatstroke alert in Tokyo and other prefectures, in Tokyo on July 9.

How to prevent and respond to heatstroke in Japan this summer

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.

As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals

An ambulance is parked at the entrance of the emergency room of Saitama Hospital in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, on July 24.

How Japan’s health care system is gearing up for more heatstroke cases

A bulletin board shows the day's highest temperature in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on July 29.

From Naha to Nemuro, how Japan’s cities are responding to more heat

People at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo in July. The three months between June and August were 1.76 degrees Celsius hotter than average in Japan.

Japan sees joint hottest summer on record

Torrential rain in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on Friday as Shanshan brought heavy precipitation to the capital.

How climate change made Shanshan more likely and more devastating

A construction worker in Akasaka-Mitsuke, Tokyo, on Wednesday. High temperatures are projected to linger on past the summer.

High temperatures expected to continue in Japan through October

The parliament building in Tokyo. With concerns about summer heat rising and many elections taking place in summertime, it may not be tenable to conduct campaigns as in the past given health risks to candidates, their staff and voters.

Hotter summers pose a threat to Japan’s tradition of stump speeches

A train in Nimi, Okayama Prefecture, on West Japan Railway's Geibi Line in September 2023. The line is among those that have seen rail tracks warped by this summer's extreme heat.

Japan’s searing summer heat is warping railway tracks more often

A supermarket worker puts up a sign asking purchasers to buy only one bag per person, in Tokyo on July 25.

Why it’s hard to find rice at Japan’s supermarkets right now

Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike

Japan has a long history of parasol use, and there's no time like the present to see if they can help you get a bit of heat relief.

Parasols are an age-old solution to today’s crippling heat

Blistering heat is becoming a fixture of summer in Japan, but a few tweaks to your routine can make your outdoor runs bearable — if not enjoyable — until cooler temperatures return.

Ice bandanas, convenience store breaks: Running under Japan’s summer sun