The heat wave rolling over Tokyo is a godsend for Olympics bashers like former newscaster Hiroshi Kume. On his TBS radio show last week, he said that five years from now when the games are held here, they will "violate the Olympic charter," which requires an environment where all athletes can demonstrate their abilities to the fullest.

The last time Tokyo was the host, the games were held in October, when it's cooler, but American broadcasters, who call the shots, would never approve such a move nowadays because then the Olympics would overlap with the World Series as well as the American football and basketball seasons. Actually, Tokyo's heat is no worse than Beijing's or Athens', but many athletes fainted at the Beijing Opening Ceremony and a substantial portion of the field for the women's marathon in Athens dropped out during the race.

Olympics Minister Toshiaki Endo is reportedly working on countermeasures, such as pavement that reflects infrared rays, mist curtains for long-distance running sports and scheduling that slots outdoor events in the early morning or after dusk.