Japan has decided its summer heat needs branding. Confronted with record heatstroke cases and more cities hitting unprecedented highs, the country's weather agency asked the public to name days when the temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit or above, the New York Times reports. More than 400,000 votes later, "kokushobi," or "cruel heat day," won out. Other contenders included "sweaty day" and "sauna day." The label was used for the first time Tuesday, when three central cities crossed the 104-degree mark, prompting officials to urge residents to stay indoors, use air conditioning, and hydrate. Tourist attractions in Osaka and Kyoto reported noticeably thinner crowds.
Officials say the point is clarity, not drama. "Numbers are difficult to understand," said Taro Kawasato of the Japan Meteorological Agency, arguing that a vivid term helps people grasp the risk. The new label joins existing heat alerts, first issued in 2021. The highest previous level was "moshobi," meaning "very hot day," for temperatures over 95 degrees, per the Guardian. Some 272 of the country's 914 observation points passed the moshobi mark on Tuesday, Kyodo News reports. Last summer, emergency workers handled more than 100,000 heatstroke cases; 14 people died from heat-related illnesses just last week, before the first kokushobi alerts.
The rising heat in Japan is affecting everything from sports to agriculture, with some farmers switching from rice to crops like avocados, the Guardian reports. Office workers, previously encouraged to shed their jackets and ties on hot days, are now being urged to wear shorts as part of "Cool Biz" measures to reduce air-con use and ease the strain on electrical grids.
- Japan is not alone in rebranding the heat, the Times reports. Britain now issues "extreme heat warnings," while authorities and media in China and Taiwan have leaned on terms like "barbecue mode" and "roasting like a sweet potato" to convey the rising danger.
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