This summer could be the hottest Japan has ever seen, according to experts. And if the past couple of weeks have been anything to go by, I think I’d be tempted to take that bet. Our short rainy season has been replaced by extreme heat, with the scorching streets and temperature-controlled shops providing a back and forth of hot and cold.
Brace yourself for cramped trains filled with sweaty salarymen, the incessant hum of those portable plastic fans and a neverending chorus of "Atsui desu ne" (It's hot, isn't it?). Grit your teeth as you check your weather app and see that while you’re sweltering in 34 degrees Celsius, your hometown thousands of kilometers away is enjoying 15 C — with drizzle. Marvel at the workmen you see with those little fans built into their jackets and wonder to yourself, “I bet I’d look good in one of those.”
In April, long before the real heat comes, I’ll usually see the odd non-Japanese resident already in shorts. To me, that’s a rookie mistake. Remember that saying when you were a kid? Your mom would tell you off for wearing your coat in the house — “You won’t feel the benefit when you go outside!” The same applies here: Wear shorts in April, then what do you do in July?