Japan Swelters Through Fifth Consecutive Record Heat Day
Japan endured its fifth consecutive record heat day exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, with central cities like Tokyo reporting dangerous spikes in heat-related emergency cases and deaths.
Japan recorded its fifth consecutive "kokushobi"—or "cruelly hot day"—on July 25, a new meteorological term introduced this year to warn of extreme heat exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. This marks the longest consecutive streak of blistering temperatures since record-keeping began in 2010. Six cities in central Japan, including areas in Aichi and Gifu prefectures, have surpassed the newly established extreme heat threshold.
Japan's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Agency reported that between July 13–19, nearly 11,000 people sought emergency treatment for heat-related illness, with 14 deaths upon hospital arrival. The country typically records around 1,300 heat-related deaths annually, and authorities aim to halve that figure within four years. On July 23 alone, Tokyo recorded 453 heat-related cases in a single day—the highest single-day total since records began over a decade ago.
Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events in Japan and worldwide to human-caused climate change. Japan is experiencing its hottest summer on record in 2025, with a peak temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius recorded in Isesaki, north of Tokyo, on August 5.
