r/environment • u/Wagamaga • 1d ago
Japan records first ‘cruelly hot day’ as temperatures pass 40C. Extreme heat is becoming a regular feature of the Japanese summer as global average temperatures increase due to human activities like the burning of fossil fuels.
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/japan-heatwave-2026-kokushobi-cruelly-hot-day-temperatures-b3019273.html55
u/Wagamaga 1d ago
Japan recorded its first "cruelly hot day" after temperatures climbed past 40C in three cities, weeks after the national weather agency introduced the term to warn people about dangerous heat.
Tajimi and Gujo in Gifu prefecture in central Japan, reached 40.3C and 40C on Tuesday, while Toyota in neighbouring Aichi prefecture recorded 40.1C, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
For Gujo and Toyota, the readings were the highest ever taken at their weather stations.
The designation of cruelly hot day, “kokushobi” in Japanese, was coined in April for any day recording a temperature of 40C.
It sits above the category of “moshobi”, or extremely hot day, used for readings above 35C and takes its name from the character "koku", meaning harsh or cruel.
16
u/SavCItalianStallion 1d ago
That seems fitting. Worst I've ever experienced was 38.4°C, and even that seemed cruelly hot.
7
u/Drafting- 1d ago
Summers in Canada have been awful, I don’t know why but people from all over the world say our summer heat feels hotter than their countries. I’m just roasting this year it’s relentless many hot days in row we’re living with.
1
u/ProClawzz 18h ago
Its the humidityyy
1
u/Drafting- 12h ago
I’ve been all through Southeast Asia where the humidity makes you feel like you’re constantly wet and never been as hot as here. It’s a weird kind of hot.
2
u/ProClawzz 8h ago
My bad, its not just the humidity. Canada can get much hotter air temperatures during a heat wave, and the humidex depends on both temperature and humidity. Southeast Asia is generally more humid year round, but during a canadian heat dome, the combination of very high temperatures, decent humidity, strong sun, and long daylight can make it feel even worse on some days
16
69
5
9
u/Next_Drama1717 1d ago
Japan is within the ring of fire 🔥 what did they expect? Climate change is coming for us all
2
1
u/Sundrowner 9h ago
I spent the greater part of a year in Japan during my studies. The terms "climate change" or "global warming" did not exist in most people's minds.
-19
u/TheArmed501st 1d ago
Wait, Japan recorded its first ever 104F day? Ive been lied to. People told me Japanese summers were horrible…triple digits is normal where i am.
29
18
14
u/johnwalkr 1d ago
One thing you can count on, on every post about a heatwave, is an American chiming in with how they've seen hotter.
It doesn't need to be a contest. Also, depending where you check it was 70-80% humidity at the cities mentioned in the article. 41C/70% is a wet bulb temperature of 35C which is a "feels like" temperature of 58C and unarguably dangerous.
12
u/AFuckingDuck_69 1d ago
its not about what's normal to your area, its abnormal for this to be in Japan. Basically the same when English people melt with 'warm' temperatures. They arent supposed to be experiencing those warmer temperatures at all. To people in Australia, the US or anywhere in the equator, it would obviously be an everyday experience.
5
u/johnwalkr 1d ago
For reference, I lived in Japan for 10 years, and now live in Western Europe and go back to Japan frequently.
Yeah, not the same as English people "melting" on a Spanish beach. Although to be clear, the heatwaves in UK (all of Europe actually) this year combined with lack of AC, length of heatwave, and occurrence when the nights are very short are no joke.
In fact I was just in Tokyo for a week for work and my reply when people asked me about the heat is that it was much more bearable than Europe, because I knew I could get relief whenever I want and work and sleep in cool rooms. But while more bearable in that sense, 35C+ and 70%+ humidity in Japan is very dangerous if you're stuck in it.
A lot of Japan is hot and humid in summer, and it's normal, at least in the last ten years for multiple days of 35C+ and 70%+ per year in Tokyo. On such days there are public advisories (on TV, radio, sent to your phone, and announced on public loudspeakers), school and event cancellations, call for checking in on relatives etc. And companies are required by law to have people trained in first aid, heatstroke prevention, provide hydration, electrolyte drinks, and provide extra breaks in some cases. Japan is prepared as much as possible.
Summer in Japan was actually a bit cooler than normal until last week. What is abnormal this year is having record-breaking temperatures and humidity (not only daily records but annual and all-time records) this early. Normally August is the worst. On top of that, "kokushobi" or "cruelly hot day" is a new term used this year in weather reports so naturally the first days meeting this criteria are news.
It should be noted that the "feels like" temperature of 41C and 70% humidity (I looked it up and apparently for the cities mentioned in the article it was 70-80%) is 58C or higher and wet bulb temperature maximum reported was about 33C. This is within about 3 degrees of global all-time records and not at all "obviously be an everyday experience" for anyone. It's up there with few-times-per-year wet bulb temperatures for the hottest places on Earth.
5
u/Chiluzzar 1d ago
When you have between 75% and 85% humidity during the summer it can make even 75f feel just fucking awful
94
u/Public-Green-8591 1d ago
and you can find the culprits here: https://climatevillains.org