Khaberni - Over 450 people in Tokyo were transported to hospitals in a single day for treatment of heat stress-related problems, marking a record number since data recording began 16 years ago, as declared by the emergency services on Thursday.
The number was announced at a time when Japan is experiencing a heatwave that has killed at least 14 people over the past week.
453 people were taken to hospitals on Wednesday due to heat-related issues, the highest number since data recording started in 2010, according to the Tokyo Fire Department. Moreover, the number of emergency service calls reached its highest level since at least 1963.
A spokesperson for the fire department told AFP, "We urge people to drink plenty of water and use air conditioners."
He explained that the number of patients increases with rising temperatures, as noticeable increases were recorded on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Tokyo prefecture, which is home to about 14 million people, one person has died due to the current heat wave, while four are in critical condition, and 18 in serious condition.
Nick Estes (35 years old), an American tourist visiting the Asakusa area in Tokyo with his family, said the weather on Thursday was "very hot."
He told AFP, "We plan our trips so that we can spend some time in the subway to alleviate the heat and look for small stores we might enter perhaps to buy a simple souvenir provided with air conditioning. We do everything we can to stay in cool environments."
He added, "But especially with children, it's extremely difficult... I was here last summer, and it seems this year is hotter than it was a year ago."
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency described the heatwave as a "disaster," announcing on Wednesday that at least 14 deaths had been recorded across the country last week, while 11,000 people needed emergency healthcare.
Disastrous situation
In Aichi (central), one of the regions suffering most from the heat wave, 116 people were taken to hospitals on Wednesday, according to officials.
Warnings against the risk of heatstroke have been issued across most of the country, home to about 125 million people.
The disaster agency said, "Temperatures have been rising since mid-July, and intense heat is expected to continue across the country."
They added, "Describing this severe heat as a disaster is not an exaggeration, as many people are transported to hospitals or even die due to heatstrokes."
On Thursday, at least six regions recorded temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more by the afternoon, while temperatures reached 39.9 degrees Celsius at three other locations.
Hamamatsu in the Shizuoka area (central) was the hottest, reaching 41.1 degrees Celsius.
It was followed by the city of Toyota, the headquarters of the giant car manufacturing company, in the neighboring Aichi region where the temperature reached 40.8 degrees Celsius and Kuwana in Mie (40.7 degrees Celsius).
The highest temperature ever recorded in Japan was on August 5, 2025, in Isesaki north of Tokyo, reaching 41.8 degrees Celsius.
This year, Japan introduced a new term to describe temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, "kokushobi", translated to "extremely hot day".
This new term aims to draw greater attention to heat-related warnings, although it does not lead to any official actions at the national level.
Even more intense heatwaves
Scientists say that climate change caused by human activities is increasing the frequency and severity of severe heatwaves in Japan and elsewhere. Japan recorded its hottest summer ever last year.
Yesenia Goita (47 years old), visiting Japan from Los Angeles, said, "You leave the hotel at 8:30 AM.. It feels like it's noon already. And as the day goes on, it gets hotter and hotter."
She added, "Now I understand the reason for the loose (Japanese) clothing and why they carry umbrellas all the time. The situation is extremely severe."
Japanese student Nakushama (24 years old), said, "Given the situation in mid-July, I don't know what will happen in August. I feel anxious.. I carry a large, fully charged fan to be able to turn it on at any moment."
