Tokyo’s average temperature has risen by about 3°C over the past century. About 1°C of this increase is attributed to climate change, while another 2°C is linked to the urban heat island effect, The Japan Times reports, citing Kazutaka Oka, head of the Climate Change Impact Monitoring Section at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES).
According to Oka, concrete and asphalt absorb solar heat during the day and release it slowly. Additional heat enters the air from buildings, transport and air-conditioning systems. The expert called this a negative spiral: the higher the temperature rises, the more often people use air conditioners, which expel heat outdoors.
Heat and humidity
Temperatures above 40°C, which were previously rare in Japan, are becoming increasingly common. The Japan Meteorological Agency introduced the term kokushobi, or a “brutally hot day,” for days when the temperature exceeds 40°C.
The danger is determined not only by air temperature. High humidity in Tokyo makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate, one of the body’s key cooling mechanisms. Oka noted that people arriving from milder climates find it especially difficult to adapt to the combination of heat and humidity.
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How the city is adapting
NIES climate change adaptation coordinator Midori Nemoto said that Japan has long used ways to ease the heat: uchiwa hand fans, bamboo screens and uchimizu — sprinkling water outdoors to cool streets. Today, Tokyo residents also use portable fans, UV-protective umbrellas, cooling wipes and sprays.
According to Nemoto, data on people’s movements show that as temperatures rise, they go outside less often during the day and shift activities to the evening. She advises changing the timing and routes of trips, taking breaks and gradually acclimating the body to heat before major outdoor events.
A longer hot season may affect people’s mental well-being, food production and seasonal traditions. According to the publication, more than 1,500 people die from heatstroke in Japan each year — about ten times more than from natural disasters, including earthquakes and typhoons.
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