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© KYODO57 dead, 18,000 taken to hospitals in Japan due to heatwave since July 29
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Toasted Heretic
That's horrific. Please take care, people.
And governments around the globe need to get serious on climate change.
ifd66
We built our house to cool itself rather than having AC, which further heats up the planet directly (discharging heat energy outside buildings), and indirectly (consuming vast amouns of energy).
If all modern houses were built with better insulation (against winter heat loss and summer heat) and good design for passive cooling, it would go a long way to creating a more pleasent environment for everyone.
nandakandamanda
There are lessons for all of us hidden in these staggering figures.
Do other countries not record heat/sunstroke casualties like this?
Derek Grebe
The Tokyo Olympic Marathon has been rescheduled to start at 6am, "when it's cooler".
I was walking my dog at 6 am today, and it was already boiling hot with vast amounts of humidity. If I'd had to then run for two hours along concrete-lined asphalt streets, you'd be reading about me in this article.
A lot more people are going to die next summer.
papigiulio
Interesting, how can a house cool itself? Just different kind of insulation?
That water mist, im still not 100% if that really works, I feel it doesn't help at all unless you are in the shade.
William77
Global warming is the real plague of this century.
Last day I read a news about how the eternal ices are melting in Greenland and how greatly will this effect to the world climate.
gaijintraveller
Does anyone know why so many Japanese die in the heat? In much hotter countries people don't die or get hospitalised because of heatstroke in such numbers. Is it because they don't drink enough water, drink too much tea, which is a diuretic, or what. It is certainly not because of a lack of salt as Japanese food uses so much.
In many hot countries people eat a lot of chilli. Could that be the difference?
Perhaps the reintroduction of water fountains would help. Nearly all have disappeared.
gakinotsukai
I've been renting a house in Wakayama Kii with thin walls, thin windows and gaps under every doors.
But owners though it's better to install 2 AC that would work H24 instead of insulating the house.
Toasted Heretic
15 thousand people died in the heatwave which hit France in '03. I don't think heatwave casualties are something that's uniquely Japanese.
zurcronium
Hotest month ever, July was, worldwide. The clock is ticking on global meltdown. And Trump and the republicans continue to deny science, and their own eyes.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49238745
GyGene
ifd66, how’d you do that? Build a house that doesn’t need air conditioning in this heat?
Strangerland
I had a friend who lived in a 100 year old Japanese house, and it opened up really well throughout. Opening a few choice windows and shoji could create a decent draft in summer. Still hot as b@lls, but to some degree bearable.
Luddite
Shoddy building here is part of the problem. No insulation makes homes hotter in summer and colder in winter. Those huge floor to ceiling windows don't help neither. Also, not enough trees and greenery in urban areas, they help keep the temps down. Stop building with so much concrete and glass - two materials guaranteed to make the surrounding area hotter.
vinarius@pm.catv.ne.jp
I am very sorry for all people.
Jonathan Prin
Lack of use of stone for Japanese style houses or buildings with strong inertia for dwellings to mitigate the temperature highs during the day.
Lack of insulation obviously if AC is used, which is a wrong countermeasure because it develops the heat island effect.
Lack of heavy foundations and infrastructure levels to use inertia from the ground (around 8 to 10°C at 5 m deep).
So much to develop.
PS : I am a building energy engineer.
CrazyJoe
We all need to do everything that we can to deal with this problem. We need personal action as much as government action. Install solar, set your AC at 75, not 65, walk if your destination is 10 min or less on foot. Tune your engine, drive a stick shift, inflate your tires, turn off the lights/computer, eat leftovers, get a spin dryer for your laundry.
Advocate for clean energy technology, solar, tidal, carbon capture. You may be 100% convinced of the problem of climate change, but if you do nothing, you are the practical equivalent of a denier. And worse than the denier who has solar on his roof.
lesenfant
I have lived in japan for over ten years and it still baffles me how so many people can die from the summer heat.
ifd66
The house has VERY effective insulation - Superquilt (easy to find on internet) but shipped from UK and triple-glazing with UV cut. Other than that, trees and open design of house ensure breezes run through the house.
>
kohakuebisu
Earthquake risk means you can't use stone or other masonry as easily as other countries.
You can make a house cooler by venting hot air upstairs, with skylights or transom windows, in the manner of a chimney. Insulation is huge too, of course. I'll have to look into Superquilt. Even simple things like shading with trees, awnings, sudare, etc. can make a difference.
As a double benefit, many solar panel installations also act to shade the roof below them. They produce electricity and make your home cooler.
Briggs
I do not understand, what heat wave are you talking about? Japan is rather cool compared to other countries, in fact it seems rather cool, maybe Japanese Home insulation need work... not just AC but proper hear insulation and/or airflow... something is wrong here, not necessarily high temps.
Toasted Heretic
Not all of us would find 37 degrees "cool". Not all of us are comfortable with such high temperatures.
gaijintraveller
I never use the aircon in my house although I do have a couple. I open windows and use ceiling fans, which I bought in Thailand. It seems impossible to find a ceiling fan that works in Japan, at least at a fair price. There are things that look like ceiling fans, but the local denkiya explained there are air circulators and not fans, so no cooling effect. They are purely decorative.
Of course, if you are unfortunate enough to live in Tokyo, you probably don't want to open a window and let the noise and pollution in even if it is 37. Life in the Chiba country is so much more comfortable and convenient. It hits 32 here.
If I feel too hot and sweaty, I can take a shower and then sprinkle Prickly Heat Powder, which I can get at the local Thai shops. Anyone who has been to Thailand will know that product. It seems to be in every Thai house, but there is nothing even similar to that cooling talc in Japan.
Strangerland
If this guy is in Japan right now, I'm envious. I would love to be of the perspective that it feels cool. Can't say I've met a single person who says the same.
Ah_so
While tea contains a diuretic, there is not enough to outweigh the benefit of drinking it. It is absolute fine to drink tea and you will gain far more liquid than you will lose.
kurisupisu
It isn’t surprising with all the concrete and high population in Tokyo that there are higher casualties there.
However, many people just continue to wear the wrong clothes and walk way too fast.
It is natural selection that when an organism fails to adapt to its environment then it becomes extinct....
Ah_so
This is something of a myth and plays to the idea of Japan being unique.
Large parts of the Mediterranean is build on an earthquake prone region, such as Italy, Greece and Turkey. There stone buildings were always the norm and a lot of very old buildings are famously still standing (Parthenon, Coliseum). Houses are also built from stone. Often they had a layered build approach - brick or stone that is interwoven with a wood layer every meter or so to allow some give in the event of an earthquake, or everyday subsidence.
FizzBit
With lots and lots of money. How much co2 did you use to ship your insulation from the UK? LOL
Seriously, more power to you. Cutting off the suns radiation from turning your attic into an oven with heat shields or spray foam is one step. Air barriers/ vapor sealing the house, don’t vent your attic or crawl space, use charcoal to soak up the moisture.
I would love to design and build a huge retractable umbrella that covers the house and moves with the sun. Still in the thinking stage.
therougou
Probably. They will go to the hospital for anything. And us younger people suffer as health insurance keeps going up and up...
Douglas Whitman
Try not wearing head to toe BLACK and walking around outside all day.
Gaijin Desi
Yeah for Japan its a big loss, taking population growth into account. Air conditioner used everywhere, that the bad thing, people hardly experienced natural weather conditions, and are not prepared for harsh weather condition, thats the reason behind so many death.
Peeping_Tom
"In much hotter countries people don't die or get hospitalised because of heatstroke in such numbers."
Really?
Have you heard of France, Spain and Portugal?
Well, people die of heatstroke by the same amounts as in Japan, every single year.
savethegaijin
I was very sick this weekend from the heat. I walked to the bus stop with maybe a 2 minute wait, but the bus was very late due to construction. I ended up standing outside for about 10-15 minutes (I had a parasol but still) and when I got on the bus I was already very dizzy. Was about a 10 minute bus ride and I started to cool down a bit but when I got off I had a maybe 7 minute walk to the shops. I was dripping in sweat, more than ever before. It was insane. By the time I got inside I started to get a visual aura so I knew a migraine was coming. I haven't had a migraine since last summer and we went to our daughters sports day (late September! Still was crazy hot). I quickly grabbed what I needed and got a taxi home. The whole time I was drinking water and yes, I was wearing loose clothing. I'm not an idiot. Anyway when I got back home I threw up and had a horrible migraine until Monday. I was nauseous and just generally unwell until Tuesday morning. I literally did everything right and still got super sick from the heat. You can blame people all you want but I was barely outside at all and still was horribly affected by it.
If you can go outside and live normally in this weather then good for you. I'm happy for you. But you are in the minority.
Joe Blow
World's biggest polluters are China and India.
Tell it to them.
PPag
The heat wave is so crazy, I saw someone showing his melted keys on the laptop. http://bit.ly/2ZyjteU
Nobnaga
that's really horrible hope everyone will be more careful
savethegaijin
My daughter's little veranda pool got a little hole melted into it by the sun today :/ Won't be leaving the next one out that long again.
mojimoji
Actually, the U.S. is a much bigger polluter than India in total CO2 emissions, and a hugely bigger polluter on a per capita basis. Do yer research.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/271748/the-largest-emitters-of-co2-in-the-world/
Brian Wheway
I can't see how people think that global warming is a myth, I was watching a vid on youtube it was all about "fuel dumping" from air craft and they were talking about how much to dump from a plain if it has to return to an airport as it is over weight, the dream liner and air bus seam to burn 12 tonnes of fuel per hour! here is a link to real time flight of aircraft,,, just imagine how much fuel is being burnt right now! and this is 24/7 Flightradar24: Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Maphttps://www.flightradar24.com/