The climate change-driven rise in temperatures is increasing the health risks that come with Japan’s scorching summers, with on average around 1,300 people dying due to heat-related illnesses each year over the five-year period through 2022, according to health ministry data.
In the week through July 7 — part of what was meant to be the somewhat cooler rainy season — 9,105 people were transported to hospitals due to heatstroke, twice the number during the same period last year, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
To stay safe this summer, here’s what you need to know about heat-related illnesses as well as how to prevent, identify and treat them.