Japan set a new record for ambulance transports due to heat-related illness this summer, the government said Wednesday, surpassing last year’s figure amid unprecedented heat waves and an unusually early end to the rainy season. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in preliminary data that 99,573 people across Japan were taken to hospitals for heat-related illness between May 1 and Sunday.
Japan’s Environment Ministry plans to step up efforts to prevent elderly people from suffering heatstroke indoors, including at home. It has requested 1 billion yen for related measures under the government’s fiscal 2026 budget.
In light of the recent spate of indoor heatstroke cases due to the record-breaking heatwave, it was learned on the 18th that Tokyo has decided to implement measures to reduce the financial burden on elderly and disabled households who purchase energy-efficient air conditioners. On the same day, four Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly factions each submitted requests to Governor Koike Yuriko as part of their heat countermeasures.
Over 10,000 people in Japan were taken to hospital due to heat-related illnesses over the course of a week in July, marking the highest weekly figure so far this year, official data showed Tuesday, with temperatures topping 35 C at hundreds of observation points. Among the individuals, 260 required hospitalization for more than three weeks, while 3,624 needed short-term stays in medical facilities. Of those taken to hospital, 55.6 percent were aged 65 or older.
The number of people sent to hospital by ambulance due to heatstroke in Japan in June more than doubled from a year before to 17,229, the highest for the month on record dating back to 2010, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday. The previous June high was 15,969 cases logged in 2022.
A total of 10,048 people were taken to hospital with heatstroke in Japan in the week through Sunday, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in a preliminary report Tuesday.
The psychological hurdle of disclosing one’s sexual orientation and gender identity, a concept known by the acronym SOGI, is significant for many in the country’s LGBTQ+ community, and some are reluctant to see a doctor due to insensitive remarks they have received from health care professionals.
The number of people in Japan who were sent to hospital due to heatstroke climbed by some 20 pct in July from a year before to 43,195, the second highest level for the month since records began in 2008, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.
Over 12,000 people in Japan were sent to hospital due to heatstroke in the week that ended on Sunday, the largest weekly total since this year’s tally began on April 29, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.
Barrier Free Japan