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16 children taken to hospital after collapsing during athletics meet

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Sixteen school girls were taken to hospital, suffering from heat exhaustion after they collapsed during a school athletics meet in Tokyo's Taito Ward on Wednesday. According to Tokyo firefighters, the meet began at the Taito Riverside Sports center at around 9:45 a.m. At that time, the air temperature had already passed 30 degrees.

Some 650 girls, aged between 12 and 17, were taking part in the event. During the opening parade, five girls collapsed. Another 11 girls complained of headaches and nausea as the event proceeded. The 16 were taken to hospital but were released later in the day, said officials.

A spokeswoman for the school told NHK that the event is usually held in September but was brought forward to June this year because of the unusually hot summer last year. She apologized to parents of the children and said that teachers would make a greater effort to monitor the condition of the pupils during outdoor events.

Meanwhile, the high temperatures that the nation has been experiencing since last week have prompted many media to declare that summer has begun, even though the rainy season has not officially been declared over.

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Being from Arizona, you can hold events outdoors in the summer, even in the worst heat. But you have to prepare for it. Everyone must be reminded to drink plenty of fluids, there needs to be lots of shade available, and if people start getting dizzy, they need to be cooled off immediately and monitored. Ice packs are a necessity. But mostly what is needed is proper foresight and planning. To say the school administrators were negligent is a massive understatement.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Its all been covered above, in many areas the total lack of common sense is just stupid & perhaps wasteful, but here we have an example where people could DIE!!!!

Man I wish this country would start seriously using their brains more, but this as posted above goes WAY beyond lack of common sense, this is neglient in the extreme, dare I even say criminally negligent.

THINK JAPAN!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

There should be a Government panel formed to discuss Ideas related to the problem - and a none binding recommendation to be released by summer 2013 . Problem solved!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I saw a little boy yesterday, still dressed in his school sports outfit, holding a wall up while waiting for the train.

To see an 8 year-old child look that wiped-out, broke my heart.

This wasn't tired after baseball practice, this was exhaustion.

And, what, go back the next day and do it again?

Will it take deaths, before they get it?

Think of your children as smaller versions of yourself.

Would you spend hours exercising in intense summer heat, humidity, and sun, without shade, enough water, or sun block?

This is not forming strong athletes, it is child abuse.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

smithinjapan.

It a wasn't on the schools ground but at a venue that needs to be pre-booked way ahead. But keep posting in your usual style. ;)

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Well, I'm not surprised here, as this is Japan where everything is topsy turvy. I work in a government building (albeit once a week) and they won't turn on the air conditioning (no matter how hot it is) until July 1st. That is the rule, and it cannot be broken. It seems no-one finds this rule strange except for me, the token gaijin.

My son goes to kindergarten, where "pool season" starts at the beginning of June which is still pretty cold. Half the kids end up catching a cold and taking a few days off school, then rainy season starts and they have little chance to go in the pool, then just as rainy season ends, so does "pool season". I questioned my wife, who is a former kindergarten teacher why they don't postpone pool season until August-September - the hottest months of the year - and she looked at me as though I was crazy. Her reply was "of course they can't go in the pool after summer break, they have to practice for the sports festival in October!"... well of course, silly me.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

And the usual summer grey smog to breathe.

That's haze, not smog. Still nasty as hell. It was stupidly hot yesterday - something like 32 at 10am - can't imagine running around in that.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Not so sure about other schools and sports-clubs here.

At my sons schools whenever they held the Undoukai(June), teachers checked that each kid has their thermos of drink(usually 1ltr). As well as Caps(usually aka-shiro boshi) and towels.

I usually brought extra drink to refill his thermos during the mutual lunch-break.

Ditto for when he played basketball, parents prepared a huge tub of Pocari-Sweat, Fruits and/or ice-cream during the practice. If it got hotter more breaks were done and they had to wipe themselves down with wet towels.

Said that the venue as shown on TV had no shade whatsoever but plenty of concrete around. Agree with others that the event organisers(most likely an athletic event) should have been better prepared as should have been the parents of the kids attending.

My school allows my son to wear one of those "cool-neck wraps" in school plus more and more kids are using them now. Buying a few more as they are great and can be had cheap(under 500yen). Most kids also wear caps to/from school.

Just handed a neck-wrap to my son and said use it if teacher has a problem get her to call me. Said that I have few complaints with my local schools.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

JT, it was not held in Ueno, but in Asakusa. It is 3 stops away from Ueno and right next to Sumida River.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

My Wards Schools also hold their Undoukai in June, September usually is hotter than June.

If it was a big sports-event like an annual meet than it is harder to cancel or postpone than a simple school event.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

From the TV footage(no-one else seen it?).

The Event was not held on school-property but looked more like the local municipal sports-centre or similar.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

teachers would make a greater effort to monitor the condition of the pupils during outdoor events

Better idea - don't hold outdoor events when the temperatures are crazy. I don't even let my dog run around outside in the hottest part of the day, absolutely ludicrous to be holding sporting events in this weather.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Unbelievable,seems like common sense, doesn,t prevail here ,probably the senseis said"GAMAN DEKIRU" No shade, hot rubbery track, no air movement,put all of these together with the schools strict discplinary rules and you get disaster... My son is supposed to play an elementary soccer school tournament this sunday from ) 900am to 400 pm "No way " i said not in these kind of weather conditions....The sad thing is he has soccer tournaments coming up for the next 4 weeks..Commonsense doesn,t seem to be so common here.... How many times have you seen a group of mothers walking in the sun with their parasols,long black gloves and long sleeved cardigans and sometimes wearing long pants and their all saying"ATSUI NE"".....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

smorkian -- horse feathers. Tokyo is responsible for over 1% of all the carbon gas emissions in the world. Combine that with stagnant air and it is in fact smog, not haze.

Having lived in high smog places and places near the sea, trust me: it's haze. That's why it goes away when it's not hot. Smog doesn't, it's a brown smudge in the sky.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

During the opening parade, five girls collapsed.

Five girls collapsing during the opening parade could, by an intelligent being, be taken as a hint that maybe the temperature is a tad high for outdoor athletics?

I bet all the parents who bothered to attend stood in the only shade, held handkerchiefs over their heads and moaned about the heat. As they watched their children collapse. Other parents probably didn't attend because it was too hot. At 10:00 AM

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They put the kids out in the sun. no hats, no water, no suncream ... people don't think things through sometimes

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Thank you, Molenir.

Being from Sydney where it gets to mid 40's with high humidity in summer every year, we know what to do, too. Sports drinks are now sold beside soft drinks (pop). The sugar keeps the blood glucose up and the salt/electrolytes keeps the brain functioning properly and helps to retain fluids in the tissues.

When I was an ultra-distance endurance triathlete, I never went out the door until I was properly fed and watered and took fluids (and food) with me.

The schools need to consult with a sports nutritionalist to get some ground rules.

Oh, and less than half the people in Sydney DON'T have air conditioning. I go to the library if it gets too hot. Others go to the shopping centres.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I am also from Arizona, and we did outdoor sports events at school when it was over 40C. Like what Molenir said, you need to be prepared. Drink lots of fluids, stay in the shade when you can, etc.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

And, if you bothered to do any research on the topic, you would see that Tokyo has a history of smog-related problems, including a massive lawsuit settled in 2007 which required the automobile companies to pay funds to asthma sufferers.

And that has nothing at all to do with this. Nothing. Why do you waste time posting this? I never said there is no smog in Tokyo. Tokyo has a lengthy history of pollution (which has improved in recent years). I said THIS is not smog. It's haze. Common by the seaside.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No the real problem is that parents don't take responsibility and if things go wrong blame it all on the school and the system(see also posters response above who do the same).

Before every event I get a looong list & meeting of what I need to provide and never got cited for providing more/extra.

Don't take much to look at the weather forecast and plan what the kid needs and tell it to follow a few simple guide-lines.

My son last year went on a 4-day summer-trip organised by school, personally I thought he only needed 1/3 of what we needed to pack(was correct). Most of the stuff came back untouched. One Lady phoned me to help check contents and to make sure everything I provided was ok and approved.

IME, local schools tend to cover their bases well to the point of it being a nuisance at times.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Thank you all of you, your stories convince me the system has no relation to facts. These poor kids. It's a Tropical environment but that is ignored. It's not summer yet! Intercourse that! Mammoths died off because they could not adapt- History repeats cross species. 16 out of 600, the rule of thumb is 1 down 10 not felling good so another 160 students borderline ( 1 death * 10 injuries) That is a fact in mass events. This was a mass event. "MUST FOLLOW TIME TABLE" Attitude can not even think about the safety of the children, school time table HAS to be followed. No sun block, no rehydration no shade, those who survive are Japanese. They should be given huge medals. The rest bullied into a life of shame. Future looks bright!!!!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Suck it up, gals. This kind of experience will toughen you up and get you ready for real life. Now get back out there and give me 20!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No fight here either Zenny, to be honest I love your positive view of Japan especially when I`m having a crap day! I also remember reading your posts years ago when I was so concerned and cynical about my kids entering "the system" and so far most of my fears have been completely unfounded and I think the school system here really is fabulous. It sounds like you have some great people around you. We do too. The teachers at my daughters school are lovely and most of the mothers are too - most!

But there are just a couple of things that worry me - the school gate never being locked when school is in session, the PTA (who frankly scare the pants off me!) and the issue at stake here - the lack of sun-sense. We are REALLY lucky in that our school is virutally brand new (5 years old) with - get this - aircon in every class AND they use it too!!! But it really does feel sometimes like the show must go on no matter what and once an agenda is in place, come hell or high water (ok, probably a crass expression to use right now) it will be followed to the letter.

It`s interesting really here, the attitude towards kids compared to adults. You see adults wrapped up to the eyeballs in Winter, and little boys running around in shorts to "make them stronger". Then in summer, you get people like the woman I rode the elevator with this morning looking like a beekeeper and proudly letting me feel her "cool gel neck collar" while again little ones are running around in blazing heat with nothing more than a skull-cap with chin-elastic for protection. I think I mentioned before my daughter was told off for drinking water while walking down the street by an old woman, and we were told it was not Japanese etiquette, but it was a blazing hot summers day.

I have to admit on this one I agree with those that are saying they cancel everything for a typhoon (which frankly is nothing much mroe than a typical UK November day!) but the heat is not considered an issue. I remember back in 2004, the year my daughter was born, when 47 people died in Tokyo from the heat. This happens every single year and yet nothing changes.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

i wonder if they were told to gaman. this is a tropical country. let`s have sports meets in october!!!!! i always hear about the students disappointment. better disappointment than illness/death. at 9:45a.m. 30 degrees the teachers should have known better.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

the event is usually held in September but was brought forward to June this year because of the unusually hot summer last year.

Really intelligent school administrators there. The hot season is clearly the wrong season for this kind of event. Hold it from Oct to April. 'Nuff said.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

yes, let`s just hold athletic meets because it is harder to cancel. da hell with da heatstroke. just cancel when the temp is 30 degrees at 9:45 A.M.!!! simple word. CANCEL (because it is dangerous heat!!!!)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In Japan, students passing out from heat exhaustion happens at every school every summer and nothing is ever done to prevent it from happening again and yet they are shocked when it does.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sports Day festivals really should be held in October or November. The Tokyo Olympics were held in October for this very reason. Every school I mentioned this to, they always said that, that part of the year is too busy with tests and other things. I think this excuse is irresponsible and doesn't hold water.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It was on last night's news. It was being held out on an athletic track, some sort of reddish rubber running surface, and the center was not grass either, but covered over. The reporter held an electronic thermometer a few cm above the track and measured 51 degrees celsius... And the kids were standing and standing in the sun, there was no shade, not even in the stands.

Is this some sort of psychological holdover from WWII thinking patterns -- you do what you're told to do, follow the plan, don't question the sense of it, even if it makes you sick? Is there a connection with the heat-stroke deaths that are happening in homes -- the government and media tell us to save electricity so WE WILL SAVE, even if it kills us...?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I thought we agreed last year that this is 'heat stroke', netchu-sho or nessha-byo( 熱射病) not heat 'exhaustion'... which is more like natsu-bate 夏ばて

0 ( +0 / -0 )

PSmash

at the very least you wud think the teachers wud have heard of the invention known as sun screen, I give my mrs credit she harps at me EVERY DAY to put the stuff on, bless her heart

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ummm.....after the first 5 dropped like flies, wouldnt you get the hint that something was not right? Wouldnt you make EXTRA efforts to make sure the girls were hydrated properly?

This country amazes me at times

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Gee there are some stupid teachers in this joint. I really hope some lawsuits are pending against them. In the height of summer up here I see junior high kids being made to run around the city in the middle of the day! These teachers really need to be educated about the dangers of heatstroke - a kid will die before long.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

*BurakuminDes a kid will die before long.

They do every year as you know. It is also sad that these children that actually experienced heat exhaustion will be affected by the heat for the rest of their lives, more susceptible to future collapsing (according to my doctor). Personally I have experienced it and have to be very careful and have to avoid a lot of conditions/situations as a result. :(*

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well said usedtobeanyr. I may have to have a chat to the PE teacher of the school here - some of the kids I've seen look to be in real trouble in their runs in the midday heat ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Patrick Smash;

It's not malicious though, it's stupidity.

I agree, but the results are the same!

"It's not the heat, it's the stupidity!"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

herefornow - it is in fact smog, not haze.

In fact, it is neither! The word smog was borne in London at the turn of the century when people were using coal for heating. The smoke mixed with the fog to create 'smog'. Haze is created by the humidity. What you see over Tokyo is just plain old air pollution. The CO2 is trapped by the water particles in the humid air creating the grey cloud.

The Japanese have some weird traditions when it comes to sports and summer. It is dangerous and stupid for anyone to play sports when the temps are over 30'C and to make children do it is abuse. There is also the strange facts like, the teachers not letting the kids get drinks cos they will break the ritual and they MUST sit in the sun with the rest of their classmates. And then, there is soccer,which is a summer sport in Japan and utterly ridiculous.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Moderator: It made it onto Japan Today because it is news. Please post something more pertinent.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Finally, when you cannot see from Aoyama-itchome to Roppongi Hills, that's smog, not haze.

It's haze. Not smog. Try doing your research on better sites.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan is an enigmatic country. The population is in major decline yet events planned or not, are attempting to further reduce the population. Maybe almost dying of heatstroke will toughen the kids up for the radiation poisoning -maybe not!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The problem is the group dynamics here.

In a societally well-adapted child, all natural inclinations are subsumed to what the group is doing. Often that means ignoring your own body warning signals.

The teacher also belongs to a group of teachers. What happened to common sense?

In this case the result is sunstroke (heatstroke), convulsions and hospital.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Maitake.

Sorry, avoidable if the parents cared and/or did their home-work.

My son was in way hotter events when he took receipt of awards for his baseball-team, still going strong 3yrs later.

Bur as I said way too many people expect others to do the work they are supposed/required to do.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Zenny11 what? Do not understand, others do the work...? They are supposed /required to do? It's a school sports day as I understand it. They are not graded on this nor is the school. Having 16 students drop, need doctors help that is the fault of the school who you have to say organized this event and went ahead despite conditions, if there was a typhoon I bet that it would be canceled. 16 students dropped due to the dangerous conditions and lack of preparedness. I expect a school to have the welfare of the children paramount. I ask too much, their job is teaching...do what you are told no matter what.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Patrick Smash, I think you're trying make something out of nothing. I know loads of Japanese dads at my kid's daycare that are not in it for show.

And your thing about the sunscreen, you do realize that you're supposed to either give your kid his own bottle to take with him, or apply some yourself before he goes out. I mean, that's what a father taking real responsibility does. I understand there's lots to keep track of, but it's our job to try to keep on top of that stuff, as parents.

On the other hand, I agree with you that this event was probably not canceled due to concerns about something other than the students' well-being. It might possibly have been concerns about the schedule, more than parents. Some schools, especially public ones, are notoriously inflexible. This was an all girls school, though, so it may have been private.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Those poor kids. Still a good idea to do it in June.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Raymasaki, it was a typo but did it make you laugh? Just kidding :)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is not surprising - I have kids in Japanese schools and unfortunately the good teachers are few and far between. There seems to be a number of very absent minded japanese teachers in some schools. My seven year old has a real idiot teacher right now. What rights do we have to get her away from the school. I sometimes wish that she would punch or hit my kid so that I could take her to the cleaners. Do we have to just put up with lame simple minded teachers who have no imagination and are on some kind of ego trip with a power to order human life's around.

I feel that my kid will miss two whole years of good education.

Help me

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Poor babies :(

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Stupid time of year for a sports day. Move 'em to October or so, forget about gaman and think smart.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Only mad dogs, Englishmen.... and apparently Japanese school kids.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

With the marching band we parents would run up and down the line during parades with spray bottles of water to try to keep the kids cool. Of course they were in stupid long sleeved blue wool uniforms out on the black pavement with the sun beating down. There were still some cases of heat exhaustion. But we also had two EMTs on hand for every event. I'm happy to hear that all the girls will be OK.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Actually the girls will not be okay, as mentioned earlier now they will be even more vunerable to heatstroke again. When someone passes out (from sun and heat) it is heatstroke not heat exhaustion. That is just the school officials trying to CTA. I can not believe some of the people on here actually trying to defend the schools or saying "well it never happened to my kid". What... so this implies that these other poor kids were weak? Your's is super kid? What if one of these girls had died? Would you still defend the school? What if it had been your daughter? I bet you would say "but they had it scheduled so far in advance...or boy she should have been tougher.....oh well we'll just make another." Wow how ignorant and selfish can you be?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

techallJun. 30, 2011 - 12:55PM JST A number of years ago I coached a little league baseball team of mostly ex-pat kids. I was shocked to see the coaches of the Japanese teams forbidding their kids from drinking water during practices, I know this to have been true of high school teams too. Their reasoning ws to build "ganman" spirit in the players. Nothing mentioned of this in the article but I wouldn't be surprised.

Agreeing with and but adding to techall, 30C degrees (86F), even with high humidity, is hardly oppressive. If that was the case, they'd never hold a track meet in the Deep South, Middle Atlantic or Midwest parts of the U.S. from late May until October.

Rather than heat exhaustion/stroke, my guess is that you had dehydration in addition to cases of Japanese kids passing out because of the (marginal) heat and humidity on top of the normal pressure cooker lives that Japanese kids live. You don't suffer heat stroke at that temperature.

Though I agree with the numerous posters who wonder why undokai aren't held in the spring just after school begins or in October once typhoon season has (usually) past and the heat has abated.

And contrary to one poster's assertion above, Japan is not a "tropical" country. Okinawa isn't even in the tropics.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

papasmurfinjapanJun. 30, 2011 - 01:08PM JST My son goes to kindergarten, where "pool season" starts at the beginning of June which is still pretty cold.

"(p)retty cold" in Japan in June? Where do you live, Hokkaido?

Half the kids end up catching a cold

You don't catch cold because it's cold. You catch a cold because, usually, you're run down and your immune system is weakened. This could happen at -40F or 35C.

then rainy season starts and they have little chance to go in the pool, then just as rainy season ends, so does "pool season".

This may be the case as it would be unwise to get wet while in a pool. Agreed. "Pool season" in Japan, as air conditioning and heat use, is completely devoid of a relationship to the weather. For most of Japan, outdoor "pool season" could be from the beginning of May until, often, the end of October.

I questioned my wife, who is a former kindergarten teacher why they don't postpone pool season until August-September - the hottest months of the year - and she looked at me as though I was crazy. Her reply was "of course they can't go in the pool after summer break, they have to practice for the sports festival in October!"... well of cours

Of course, this is the primary reason that there really are relatively few Japanese athletes of international caliber.

Better not move the wife abroad. The logic shock would kill her.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Actually the girls will not be okay, as mentioned earlier now they will be even more vunerable to heatstroke again. When someone passes out (from sun and heat) it is heatstroke not heat exhaustion.

A person with heat exhaustion (AKA heat prostration and heat collapse) can also pass out . The basic causes are the same - heat exposure, stress, and fatigue induced by high temperatures, dehydration, the type of clothing being worn, etc. ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

On same token can you explain why kids that have no sunscreen don't get burned and there are many, many? Somehow I seem to do things wrong as my son nor his friends got those problems mentioned here.

And let me tell you if those problems mentioned here were reported my local PTA would skin the ward office alive and hang it out to dry.

Because everyone has different levels of melanin in their skin? But Japan seems to assume everyone is the same? Ergo, some kids burn and some don`t?

I am lucky with my older two - they have their fathers wonderful dark skin, and although I insist on them still wearing sun screen, they rarely burn. But my youngest has my skin. He is too little for it to be a school problem yet, but I am concerned in the future.

Even my daughter has burned after going in the school pool (on the roof, no shade) on hot days. They are not allowed to wear sunscreen in the pool, but I put it on anyway - the waterproof stuff, and tell the teacher. It is her choice to ban her from the pool or not, but they seem to be just turning a blind eye at the moment. I am happy to cooperate up to a point, but not where my child is risking burns.

I feel for some of the paler children though - some kids in our building have come home terribly red and painful after school.

My daughter had mild heatstroke after her sports day and it wasnt even that hot that day. The reason was they wouldnt let them drink. They took in thermos`s, but they were all left in the classrooms ready for lunchtime, and the kids had to sit out in the sun from 8.45 through till 12, and 1 to 3.30. She was dizzy, had a headache and a stomach ache, and had to take two days off of school.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Miamum.

Not fighting here. My Japanese wife was very weak with heat and often had to do a lie-down during Bike-rallies, etc.

Last week my son got send home as him and 6 other kids felt faint, not surprising as the heat spiked big that day suddenly. Remember I posted that he got a cool-neck wrap after that for school.

To be honest your experiences don't match mine at local schools, not saying you are wrong just that they don't match.

Personally found the schools accommodating here. Yeah, sad about those 16 kids but those were teens and should have been able to look after themselves.

Like I said sounds like it was an athletics event aka track-meet, etc. In which case all the students come from various schools.

Again why didn't the parents prepare better weather forecast, etc are all known before-hand.

What I can't wrap my head around is that posters here slam schools, Japan, etc and don't see that they parents are the main-responsible people for their kids not the school, etc.

At the last Undokai my son helped out(standard for 5th and 6th graders) so he had to sit in a special area but his thermos was with him all the time as well as on previous events. Our Teachers make sure about that before they send the kids out.

Not sure about sun-screen(hasn't been an issue so far).

Heat-stroke is a danger and I seen many people drop from kids to adults and as was said don't need to be extreme temps/humidity either.

So what is the big Broohaaa here really?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@ jeffrey

"(p)retty cold" in Japan in June? Where do you live, Hokkaido?

Okayama. You did notice I said the beginning of June didn't you? There is a huge difference in temperature between the beginning and the end of the month, especially in the mornings, when the kids go in the pool. Why don't you try going for a dip in an unheated outdoor pool at 9:30 in the morning in the beginning of June, and you'll know what I'm talking about.

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@ Patrick Smash

Get your kids a Zinc Stick and lather it on their faces and they'll be right as rain. Not sure what the teachers will say though.

http://cabacurl.blogspot.com/2008/07/abc-wednesday_15.html

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Patrick.

Never said they don't happen. Just saying they are not as systematic as posters won't them to be. How many other events happened that day? Those things happen globally and those are neither systematic either. And I seen reports of overseas high-school athletes dying, etc but that is off-topic

Yes, I fully agree someone dropped the ball but to me those are both the parents and the even organisers.

Not that hard to understand?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

event

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Maybe they should take a hint from the (dispised) U.S. bases here. The bases all have a posted "heat Index" devised on a combination of heat and humidity. When I was in Iraq, there were times when the heat index was constantly "Black" which meant no more than 15 minutes of activity per hour outdorrs. The U.S. Army is pretty good at keeping their soldiers in good health.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Patrick.

No fight. But too many posters her try to fight others that don't see things their way or don't fit their experiences.

I am simply sharing my experiences and views hence there shouldn't be a fight or attack. Ditto for other posters, just some seem to want to ....

BTW, extreme heat can be easier dealt with than a ground soaked in rain while trying to hold an event during a major downpour. Agreed?

Just takes some thinking and preparations and that should happen before the kids even get to the event. Not so?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Patrick.

I do agree with many of your points, don't get me wrong we are on the same page somewhat. Where did I say it was from the organisers point of view, from the start I blamed the parents mostly for not preparing and supplying the kids with needed stuff.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Look - the sports day was written down on a piece of paper, which had been circulated. To cancel it for a little thing like children's safety would have been either troublesome or confusing for people.

Once it's been written down it's beyond anyone's control, don't you see? You can't expect the adults in whose hands we place our children's safety to exercise critical thought or common sense, surely? Where do you think this is - the civilised world?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"The Japanese systematically cancel these events for typhoons but not extreme heat."

This is hardly unique to Japan. Even indoor events would probably be cancelled anywhere in the world for a typhoon. Children participating in sporting meets or practice sessions simply need to take precautions, 85 degree heat is hardly extreme.. If they were not encouraged to drink plenty of water before, during, and after their events these kind of horror stories would be commonplace.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Miamum.

Thx, yes, I love this place but I also got my gripes and complaints here with the system, etc and I voice them often more on other boards/media than here. Hate the PTA, etc meetings myself.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Correction.

That the PTA meetings and they hate me.

Like at the meeting after the last yaki-imo meet, I raised points that other parents were to shy to address but agreed that last year(my suggestion) was better.

Still meet my fellow "co-workers" and it looks like I am a fixture this year too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Still meet my fellow "co-workers" and it looks like I am a fixture this year too

There is no escape. You WILL be assimillated! (sp?!)

Im actually seriously thinking about offering my services on a voluntary basis to the school to help the teachers with their new English program. Dont know how the offer will be received, but I have heard there is a certain amount of quiet freaking out going on over the whole thing, and I wonder if maybe, if I get to know the teachers better I might be in a better position to influence change or at least gently comment on issues like sun-sense.

And quite honestly it couldn`t be any worse than trying to get the PTA to do anything.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Same old story, nothing new and as always typical. When will Japan ever learn to:

a) Not to do sports on extremely hot days

b) Not to give the students too much tea, but either water or sports drinks.

c) in this extreme heat indoors to adequately keep the students a comfortably temp.

d) during training, when a student is thirsty or needs a break, that is a serious warning sign, give them a moment to drink and catch their breath.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I can't really blame the teachers too much for this, because at the school I work at, at every sporting event they make sure that every student has drinks (especially Pocari Sweat) and tries to encourage them to drink during every break, but that still isn't enough sometimes.

I drink between every class period and encourage my students to do the same, and I have still gotten heat exhaustion twice so far, it's one of those things that can hit you even if you think you are taking every procaution possible.

Also, not sure about where this was held, but at our events we have special tents set up with a cooler of ice so that people can cool down by rubbing ice on theirselves.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Honestly, could the leadership at all levels be any more developmentally disabled? In winter, I see the reverse, kids running around in freezing temps in shorts and Ts.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

30 degress -- and about 90% humidity. And the usual summer grey smog to breathe. It never ceases to amaze me how supposedly educated people in Japan can continuously show such little common sense.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

The school nurses were clearly laying down on the job. Two or three episodes might have been excuseable, given pressure from everyone around them to hold the event despite the heatwave. But beyond that the medical people have to call it off.

But how typically Japanese to mindlessly gamabare despite hopelessness combined with danger.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Do you think they'd turn the sprinklers on for the kids to run through?? Do they even have sprinklers??? Seeing as most schools seem to maintain a dusty mini-desert for an athletics ground.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Having lived in high smog places and places near the sea, trust me: it's haze. That's why it goes away when it's not hot. Smog doesn't, it's a brown smudge in the sky.

Smorkian -- luckily I don't have to trust you. There's this thing called the Internet. And, if you bothered to do any research on the topic, you would see that Tokyo has a history of smog-related problems, including a massive lawsuit settled in 2007 which required the automobile companies to pay funds to asthma sufferers. Also, in case you missed it, there is in fact a "smog alert" bulletin procedure in place during the summer in Tokyo. Finally, when you cannot see from Aoyama-itchome to Roppongi Hills, that's smog, not haze. But, go ahead and breathe deeply and convince your lungs that is just haze they are inhaling.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

This is one of the reasons I sometimes loathe the general populace of this nation; they idea that they simply MUST stick to some arbitrarily decided schedule. Change your winter clothes to summer on this day. Don't start using the heater even though it's cold -- you must wait until December 1st! etc. etc.

Now, the school has clearly experienced unfortunate timing both this and last year in terms of unbelievable heatwaves, but seriously! It's been record-setting temperatures for DAYS now and they didn't think to post-pone or cancel it?

Zenny11: "If it was a big sports-event like an annual meet than it is harder to cancel or postpone than a simple school event."

Why? simply because grandma and grandpa dusted off the camera and have marked the date? Because some kids might be disappointed even though a cancellation could literally save their lives?

It's unbelievable that they went ahead with this despite the danger to the children (and staff), and we're going to hear more and more stories like this over the coming weeks. I agree, it's simply child abuse.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

A number of years ago I coached a little league baseball team of mostly ex-pat kids. I was shocked to see the coaches of the Japanese teams forbidding their kids from drinking water during practices, I know this to have been true of high school teams too. Their reasoning ws to build "ganman" spirit in the players. Nothing mentioned of this in the article but I wouldn't be surprised.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Here is a wonderful example of the uniqueness of Japanese culture, and everyone here seems intent on raining on their parade with all these Mendoukusai ideas about common sense...

Haran3375... I heartily agree; this and other things (like having infants on the laps of drivers sans seatbelt) do indeed seem that they are intent on diminishing the population further.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

this is regrettable

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Cricky do what i do!

i just bypass Zenny's Post, not wasting my Time reading it.

nothing can change his mind about Japan.

How those Alex Kerr call this kind of people?, well i forget maybe not

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Cricky.

You are aware that students/pupils & parents also help set up the events,etc. My son had to do it this year(standard for 5th and 6th graders), he was there way before and after the event.

But sure take the back-seat and don't make sure that your kid will be fine and if things go screwy blame everyone around you. Top-notch parenting & Involvement right there.

Recall last years Yaki-Imo Taikai, I was there from 07:00 till 16:00 for an event that started at around 09:30 and ended at 14:30. Was a hard shift cutting tatami-mats apart to make the fire, set everything up, dampen the fire down afterwards with the local volunteer fire-brigade and get the place to look like it never happened.

I looked worse than a chimney-sweep getting home and was sore from the physical work. And we worked hard physically(both men and women).

Some people get involved others don't.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

ok i just mispelled HOME but it was a typo.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Patrick.

On same token can you explain why kids that have no sunscreen don't get burned and there are many, many? Somehow I seem to do things wrong as my son nor his friends got those problems mentioned here.

And let me tell you if those problems mentioned here were reported my local PTA would skin the ward office alive and hang it out to dry.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Cleo

cleoJUN. 30, 2011 - 09:54AM JST

I don't even let my dog run around outside in the hottest part of the day, absolutely ludicrous to be holding sporting events in this weather.

Me too, I don't let my cat go out in this heat. Oh, wait, she won't go out anyway. My cat has more common sense?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@marcels

all saying"ATSUI NE""

haha... : D

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Not sure how this made it into the news...everybody already knows it gets unbearably hot here in summer. Anybody ever get the feeling that Japan Today loves to post articles that flame?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Nothing fazes my2sense anymore... especially a country that grows AKB bands in every city. Look- the Japanese have very little common sense and that's why they're Japanese, my2commonsense....

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

ok this is a serious subject BUT couldn't help but laugh at patricks comment "my sun came homw from school" uh NO it didn't. my SON you mean. & goggo's comment "sunscream" LOL you mean sunscreen.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The_True.

Of course other peoples experiences that counters yours are only worth an Ad-Homimem.

Way to go Big-Boy.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Okay! I OFFICIALLY declare school administrators in this country IDIOTS! There, it has been officially declared, not they can proceed with making stupid decisions! Pomp and Circumstance is SO much more important than the health of the children!

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Recently, japan is very hot . Maybe, we become to die without air conditioner.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

That's haze, not smog.

smorkian -- horse feathers. Tokyo is responsible for over 1% of all the carbon gas emissions in the world. Combine that with stagnant air and it is in fact smog, not haze.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

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