Japan Records Hottest Temperatures in 16 Years, 453 Hospitalised

Japan is currently enduring its longest stretch of consecutive extremely hot days since 2010, with temperatures soaring above 40°C on 25 July 2026. The government has issued heatstroke warnings across several regions. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), cities in central Japan, including areas in Aichi and Gifu prefectures, surpassed the new threshold for ‘kokushobi’, a term designating days of extreme heat. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that nearly 11,000 people sought emergency medical assistance across Japan between 13 and 19 July 2026 due to heat-related health issues. Among these patients, 14 were pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital, leading the agency to treat the extreme weather as a disaster. Japan records approximately 1,300 heat-related deaths annually and aims to halve this figure by 2030. On Thursday alone, 453 people received hospital treatment for heat-related problems in Tokyo, the highest single-day number since records began over a decade ago. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat in Japan to human-caused climate change. The country experienced its hottest summer on record last year, with the highest ever temperature of 41.8°C recorded in Isesaki, north of Tokyo, on 5 August 2025.