Key Facts
• Tokyo recorded its highest temperature of 37.3°C in 2025, marking 7 consecutive scorching days.
• 51 individuals in Tokyo were hospitalized for heatstroke by 3 PM on August 24.
• The Takasaki Festival in Gunma Prefecture saw temperatures reach 37.5°C for two consecutive days.
• All festival floats and portable shrines had nurses accompanying participants for health monitoring.
• Heat countermeasures included 40 mist fans (up from 30 last year) and artificial snow machines.
• Five snow machines were deployed, an increase from three in 2024, to cool festivalgoers.
• 69 people received medical attention at Takasaki Festival’s four first-aid stations.
• A 94-year-old woman in Tokyo was hospitalized after collapsing from suspected heatstroke.
• Unstable weather persists, with East and West Japan expecting continued 35°C+ days.
• Recent heavy rains in Kagoshima caused severe flooding, damaging homes and rice fields.
Summary
As Japan faces record-breaking heat, summer festivals are adapting with innovative measures to ensure safety. Tokyo hit 37.3°C, its highest temperature in 2025, while the Takasaki Festival in Gunma endured two days of 37.5°C heat. To combat heatstroke, nurses accompanied all floats and shrines, while mist fans and artificial snow machines provided relief. Despite these efforts, 69 individuals required medical attention at the festival. Meanwhile, Kagoshima struggles with flood recovery after heavy rains damaged homes and rice fields. With more scorching days ahead, heatstroke prevention remains critical.
