Japanese cities are currently enduring what authorities have dubbed “suffocatingly hot days”—a new term introduced this year by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to describe temperatures exceeding 40°C, known locally as kokushobi. Heat advisories have been issued across much of the country, with three cities in central Japan recording temperatures above 40°C on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Extreme Heat Spreads Nationwide
On Wednesday, July 22, large parts of Japan—including the Nagoya metropolitan area in central Japan and areas near Tokyo in eastern Japan—experienced temperatures nearing or surpassing 40°C. The JMA has issued heat warnings for 41 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, urging the public—especially its large elderly population—to take precautions against heat-related illness.
Health Impact Mounts
According to Tokyo Fire Department data reported by Kyodo News, 261 people were hospitalized on Tuesday for suspected heatstroke amid the ongoing nationwide heatwave. In Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, an 85-year-old man was found unconscious inside his greenhouse and later pronounced dead, local fire officials told AFP. “Temperatures inside the greenhouse were extremely high,” a spokesperson said.
Government Declares Heat a ‘Natural Disaster’
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) today urged citizens to treat this extreme heat as a “natural disaster.” In a statement, the agency noted that temperatures have been rising since mid-July and warned that intense heat is expected to persist across the country. “It is not an exaggeration to say this extreme heat is on a catastrophic scale, given the large number of people being hospitalized or dying from heatstroke,” the FDMA added—though it did not provide a national fatality or hospitalization tally for the past ten days.
Last year, Japan experienced its hottest summer on record. The highest temperature ever recorded in the country remains 41.8°C, measured on August 5, 2025, in Isesaki, also north of Tokyo.