- Title: JAPAN: Japanese are finding ways to stay cool amid a record heatwave
- Date: 4th September 2010
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 2, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING ON BENCHES (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) UNIDENTIFIED 55-YEAR-OLD TOKYO RESIDENCE, SAYING: "It is extremely hot." VARIOUS OF MAN SITTING IN FRONT OF FOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING NEAR FOUNTAIN (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 19-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT, YOSHIAKI KOBAYASHI, SAYING: "It should get cooler in September, but this year, it's still hot. It's pretty tough." METEOROLOGIST NOBUAKI HIRAMATSU SITTING AT DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) METEOROLOGIST AT JAPAN WEATHER ASSOCIATION, NOBUAKI HIRAMATSU, SAYING: "This is the 113th year since Japan first started recording temperatures and this is the hottest summer since. The average temperature this year is 1.64 degrees higher than the average. This is 0.3 degrees higher than the previous record." TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 2, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FOUNTAINS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN PARK MAN CROSSING BRIDGE IN HEAT BRIDGE IN HEAT TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 3, 2010) (REUTERS) GIRLS WALKING INTO HAUNTED HOUSE GIRLS MOVING THROUGH HAUNTED HOUSE VARIOUS OF AUTOMATIC DOLL SHARPENING KNIVES GIRLS ENCOUNTERING GHOST GIRLS MOVING THROUGH HAUNTED HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) KEIKO USAMI, 24-YEAR-OLD CLOTHING RETAILER AND VISITOR TO HAUNT HOUSE, SAYING: "It cooled me down quite a bit. It was frightening and cold in there." (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) AZUMI ONODA, 25-YEAR-OLD CLOTHING RETAILER AND VISITOR TO HAUNT HOUSE, SAYING: "I felt myself cooling down from around here. It made me really want to escape." PEOPLE LINING UP AT HAUNTED HOUSE
- Embargoed: 19th September 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Weather
- Reuters ID: LVAC95LIQRO9X5FQPIAJQ43JJ2IB
- Story Text: It's not common to see well-mannered Japanese resting on park benches wearing only their trousers.
But recent high temperatures have residents stripping down to the bare essentials to cope with the heat, melting down strict Japanese etiquette.
The country is experiencing one of its hottest summers since the meteorological record began in 1898.
"It is extremely hot," said a 55-year-old Tokyo resident who declined to be identified.
The number of days, for which Japan was hit by heatwave, counted 50 on Thursday (September 2) and is set to continue well into September.
"It should get cooler in September, but this year, it's still hot. It's pretty tough," said 19-year-old Yoshiaki Kobayashi.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency said on Wednesday (September 1) the average temperature between June and August was 1.64 degrees Celsius above average for the period. The office did not give the actual average temperature.
Close to 500 people have died and 46,728 hospitalized across the country in heat-related diseases, Japanese media reported. Japan's fast-growing elderly population were the majority of victims.
"This is the 113th year since Japan first started measuring the temperature, and this is the hottest summer since. The average temperature this year is 1.64 degrees higher than the average. This is 0.3 degrees higher than the previous record," said Nobuaki Hiramatsu, a meteorologist at Japan Weather Association, which provides with weather forecasts for media.
According to Hiramatsu the heatwave will continue until the middle of September and may start cooling due to Typhoons which could be bigger and stronger this year due to warmer seas and atmosphere which power typhoons.
In Toyko, residents sought a traditional solution to coping with the heat, visiting haunted houses which make chills run down one's spine.
One resident said the frightening experience did what it was supposed to do.
"It cooled me down quite a bit. It was frightening and cold in there, " said Keiko Usami. Her friend agreed. "I felt myself cooling down from around here. It made me really want to escape," said Azumi Onoda.
Scary movies and haunted houses are popular in the summer time in Japan for their chilling affect. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
