July and August are brutally hot across most of Japan, and for parents with young children at home, the challenge is on to somehow enjoy the summer without getting bitten, burned or bummed out.
My neighbor's solution was to build a loose replica of the polar bear cage at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, with its joys and limitations. They bought a blowup kiddie pool, filled it with water and bags of convenience store ice, then added their own sunscreen-coated toddlers.
Water play is a good front line defense when the mercury rises, but if you haven't got a pool, yard, or big balcony, you'll need other ways to chill.