Autumn’s arrival in Japan is usually marked by the appearance of delicious matsutake mushrooms and juicy persimmons on supermarket shelves, alongside seasonal beers and sakes. Festive neighborhood gatherings celebrate the end of summer with portable shrines carried through the streets, and children eagerly prepare for school sports days. This year, however, a different kind of celebration is underway: a battle against unprecedented heat.
Experts are warning that the refreshing, sunny days that typically signal the end of summer’s sweltering heat are still far off. One expert even describes the current weather as “abnormal.”
This summer, Japan experienced record-breaking heat, with temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius on multiple days. The public broadcaster NHK reported that “disaster-level” heat, reaching 40 degrees Celsius, was observed in two cities in early August.
These record-breaking temperatures have been observed across the country, from June to August. Japan’s summer is the hottest it has been since 1898, when the meteorological agency began collecting data.
Tokyo, the nation’s capital, has seen a staggering 22 days of “extremely hot” weather, with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. This shattered the previous record of 16 days, set just last year.
Even Sapporo, the northernmost main city, famous for its annual snow festival in February, experienced three consecutive days of temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius in late August. The heat forced Hokkaido Railway Company to cancel trains out of concern for track warping. Some students were instructed to study remotely rather than attending classes in poorly ventilated classrooms.
The ancient capital of Kyoto, known for its humid summers and bracing winters, witnessed a record 37 days of extreme heat.
While temperatures have slightly eased since the start of September, the relief is minimal. Earlier this month, a marathon in the northeastern city of Morioka was terminated midway through after numerous runners retired due to the oppressive heat. One runner tragically passed away after being rushed to a hospital.
Weather observation points across Japan have shattered annual records for the number of extremely hot days, prompting the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper to ask a critical question: how long will this heat continue?
The answer, unfortunately, holds little solace for those yearning for a reprieve from the brutal heat. According to the meteorological agency, the combined effects of El Niño and global warming suggest that unusually hot weather will persist through the end of September and into October.
Takafumi Umeda, director of the agency’s Tokyo Climate Centre, warned, “Even if it’s not extremely hot, there is a possibility that high temperatures of around 30C will continue in October, so people need to be careful about heatstroke.”
The agency also predicts a mild winter with less snowfall than usual, a discouraging forecast for businesses in resorts that rely on large numbers of skiers and snowboarders.
One location, however, appears to be escaping the worst of the heat. In Katsuura, in Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo, temperatures have not risen above 35 degrees Celsius throughout July and August, marking the 118th consecutive year that the coastal town has avoided extremely hot days.
This unprecedented heatwave is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of human-caused climate change, which is intensifying extreme weather events around the world, leading to more frequent and more deadly heatwaves, floods, and wildfires. Scientists have concluded that at least a dozen of the most severe events of the last decade would have been virtually impossible without human-caused global warming.
The effects of climate change are undeniable, and the world must work together to mitigate the threat and build a more sustainable future.
