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1,637 taken to hospital for heatstroke May 25-June 1

12 Comments

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday that in the week from May 25 to June 1, 1,637 people were taken to hospitals nationwide to be treated for heatstroke.

The agency said the number was seven times higher than for the same period last year, NTV reported.

The spike was caused by an unseasonable heatwave which hit parts of Japan on May 30, 31 and June 1, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Tokyo had the highest number hospitalized with 146, followed by Aichi (126), Saitama (96) and Osaka (93).

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said four deaths so far have been attributed to the heatwave.

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12 Comments
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There was a full marathon run along the Tama River on the 1st of June. Some of the runners looked like death and not having a good time. I was on a long bike ride that day and my legs were attacked by cramps. Not a good day for a whole lotta people.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wonder what the breakup of the numbers would show us, i.e., age brackets and specific days. This time of year is when many schools have their sport's days and I wonder how many young people succumbed to the heat.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Was it really so hot? I can understand Hokkaido people suffering, but it was just over 30' in Tokyo. Obviously, there needs to be some sort of educational campaign to inform people how to not get sick when the temp gets over 30'. Many schools have held their sports carnival in the last fortnight and I've quite a few cherry-red parents who sat in the dun all day with no hat or sunscreen. Ignorance can be cured, but stupidity cannot!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I don't know about the actual heat, but the sun in Japan is very strong. I was there last month and went to the beach with my ex. Even using factor 50 my northern European pale skin burnt very quickly.

I suppose with that heat hitting pavements and then being reflected back up again I can easily see why people are suffering. Also, when you leave cars, trains, buses and buildings with air conditioning and step outside the heat is like a physical shove. For me being used to 30 centigrade as a very hot summer, daily temperatures of 25 to 30 quickly sapped my energy, made me very thirsty and at one point rather faint. The over 30 temperatures would have crushed me.

Sometimes, only a few times mind you, I'm glad that I don't live in Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This heat is ridiculous. It has definitely reared its ugly head much earlier than last year. Fingers crossed it leaves us earlier!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

WHO should send a team of medical experts to study this mysterious heatstroke in Japan.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I don't know about guys, but during this time of the year, I always wear lesser clothes. When you are thirsty, drink some cool beverages or else you'll suffer dehydration which is one factor of getting heat stroke. Since I'm from a super hot country (the temperature was around 35-40), I'm accustomed to this heat, but for people who are not, I suggested you try not to stay in the heat for too long, and avoid crowded area if possible.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Not drinking enough water. DRINK MORE WATER!!!!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

it's going to be raining for days now, this heat is really something!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No deaths from this preventable cause are good, but please don't let me hear that some of the deaths were 13-18 year olds killed while they were forced to "gambaru" by their coach while playing sports in the middle of the day.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Disillusioned: Keep in mind that of two that died thusfar one was actually in a greenhouse in the record heat, and another out in the garden. Methinks this is more a combination of sun and heat than actually just heat. I walked out on Sunday simply to go to the gym and in the few minutes I was in the direct sunlight it literally felt like my shorts were going to light up, and I couldn't look anywhere but at the ground even with sunglasses on!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

What is the saying "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun?" Apparently Japanese as well. Stay inside, stay out of the sun when it is very hot. I'm assuming Japan is a modern country with air conditioning pretty much everywhere but I may be wrong since I've never been there. I just saw an ad on TV for some kind of stay cool rag that you can wear on your head or around your neck while gardening or doing sports or doing anything outside - as long as it is wet, it cools you. I would think vendors would be selling those everywhere - along with those fan/mister things that my daughter likes to buy pretty much every time we go to the zoo. I lived in Arizona for two years. 105 was a rather cool temperature between about April and October. People just stay inside and do things like exercise and grocery shopping very late at night or very early in the morning.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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