• 57 people died, and 18,000 were taken to hospital, in the space of a single week in Japan, which is grappling with a powerful heat wave.
• According to Kyodo News, more than triple the number of hospitalizations occurred this week in response to heat, most of which were for people aged over 65.
• High temperatures have plagued Japan for weeks, and show little sign of stopping.

57 people died and more than 18,000 were taken to hospital in the space of a single week as Japan grappled with a powerful heat wave.

According to Kyodo News, 18,347 people were taken to the hospital in the last week, more than three times the number recorded the week before that.

The figures are for July 29 to August 4, and were released at the beginning of this week. They paint a bleak picture of how Japan is copying with its ongoing high temperatures.

Just over half of those hospitalized were aged 65 and older, the report said. It is common for the very old and very young to suffer worst in extreme temperatures.

The highest number of hospitalizations occurred in Tokyo, where more than 1,800 people were hospitalized, Kyodo said.

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency told said that atmospheric high pressure led to the lengthy hot period. Temperatures climbed to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tokyo in the last week.

On Wednesday, temperatures reached 38.4 C (101 F) in Kumagaya, a city northwest of Tokyo, and 36.9 C (98.4 F) in Fukushima and Osaka, according to Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK.

High temperatures have plagued Japan for weeks, resulting in scores of heat-related deaths this summer.

Last month, more than 80 people died in a heat wave where temperatures climbed above 40 C (104 F) in parts of the country.

Then temperatures reached a record 41.1 C (105.8 F) according to Kyodo News, prompting Japan’s Meteorological Agency to issue a warning that the heat posed a “threat to life.”

“We recognize it as a natural disaster,” a spokesperson said last month. </s> August 6 remains a day of remembering the first atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima in Japan but this year, more than the bomb, heat wave has swept the nation, sending thousands to hospital and leaving 57 dead so far.

The Japanese government said on Tuesday, Aug. 6, that 57 people died and almost 18,347 people were taken to the hospital due to heat wave-related medical emergencies in the last one week starting July 29. It was reported last week that over 5,000 people were admitted to local hospitals due to the heightened heat wave.

As per Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the weekly figure for admission in hospitals due to increased temperature was second-highest since 2008, when they started recording it.

The Japan Times reported that of the 18,347 people who were taken to hospitals, 729 had developed symptoms that will require more than three weeks of treatment, while 6,548 had been diagnosed with less serious issues and needed shorter treatment process. It should be noted that elderly people, mostly aged 65 or above accounted for 54.3 per cent of the total.

As reports claimed Tokyo topped the list of hospitalization of the people, which is 1,857 and then Aichi Prefecture, as well as Saitama Prefecture where 1,342 and 1,307 ended up in hospitals respectively.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency also mentioned that a high-pressure system over the area of Japan preserved extreme heat so the agency has asked the members of the public to stay hydrated and rest in cooler areas.

Earlier, a study led by Ke Xu, who is postdoc working with Prof Riyu Lu and Prof Jiangyu Mao in the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, suggested that a deep anomalous anticyclone over East Asia is responsible for this increased heat that includes "anomalous subsidence and consequent higher surface temperature."

This research was conducted while focusing on increased heat-waves over South Korea and Japan's southern-central region. The lead author of this study stated earlier that the anomalous anticyclone triggered by the wave trains is "indicative to the occurrence of EH over South Korea and southern-central Japan." </s> 57 people died and more than 18,000 were taken to hospital in the space of a single week as Japan grappled with a powerful heat wave.

According to Kyodo News, 18,347 people were taken to the hospital in the last week, more than three times the number recorded the week before that.

The figures are for July 29 to August 4, and were released at the beginning of this week. They paint a bleak picture of how Japan is copying with its ongoing high temperatures.

Just over half of those hospitalized were aged 65 and older, the report said. It is common for the very old and very young to suffer worst in extreme temperatures.

The highest number of hospitalizations occurred in Tokyo, where more than 1,800 people were hospitalized, Kyodo said.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency told said that atmospheric high pressure led to the lengthy hot period. Temperatures climbed to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tokyo in the last week.

On Wednesday, temperatures reached 38.4 C (101 F) in Kumagaya, a city northwest of Tokyo, and 36.9 C (98.4 F) in Fukushima and Osaka, according to Japan's public broadcaster, NHK.

High temperatures have plagued Japan for weeks, resulting in scores of heat-related deaths this summer.

Last month, more than 80 people died in a heat wave where temperatures climbed above 40 C (104 F) in parts of the country.

Then temperatures reached a record 41.1 C (105.8 F) according to Kyodo News, prompting Japan's Meteorological Agency to issue a warning that the heat posed a "threat to life."

"We recognize it as a natural disaster," a spokesperson said last month. </s> Heatwave in Japan kills 57 in one week with 18,000 hospitalized - Fifty-seven people died due to heat-related medical issues in Japan over the week starting July 29, the government said Tuesday, with the number of those taken to hospitals more than tripling from the previous week's 5,664 to 18,347. Tokyo - Fifty-seven people died due to heat-related medical issues in Japan over the week starting July 29, the government said Tuesday, with the number of those taken to hospitals more than tripling from the previous week's 5,664 to 18,347. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, this week's figures of those sent to hospitals was the second-highest since heat-related injury tallies began in 2008, according to the Senior citizens accounted for over half of the total number of heat-related illnesses, with 729 exhibiting severe symptoms that will require more than three weeks of treatment, health officials said. Tokyo had the largest number of hospitalizations, with 1,857, followed by 1,342 in Aichi and 1,307 in Saitama prefectures. Deaths were reported across 24 prefectures, with seven in Hokkaido in northern Japan. In Tokyo, an 8:30 a.m. power outage left “An announcement told us to open the windows, and passengers worked together to do so. After we exited onto the tracks, I felt scared when I saw people being taken away on stretchers,” said a 54-year-old woman who had been on one of the suspended trains. August is the hottest month in Japan, with the average temperature in Tokyo hitting 79°F (26°C), while the coldest month is January at 41°F (5°C). However, in Tokyo on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., the temperature was 32.5 C (90.5°F).According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, this week's figures of those sent to hospitals was the second-highest since heat-related injury tallies began in 2008, according to the Japan Times. Senior citizens accounted for over half of the total number of heat-related illnesses, with 729 exhibiting severe symptoms that will require more than three weeks of treatment, health officials said. Tokyo had the largest number of hospitalizations, with 1,857, followed by 1,342 in Aichi and 1,307 in Saitama prefectures. Deaths were reported across 24 prefectures, with seven in Hokkaido in northern Japan.In Tokyo, an 8:30 a.m. power outage left eight trains stranded on the tracks between stations, forcing the Keikyu Corporation, which owns the train system to resort to backup power, however, they could not use this to run the air-conditioning system in the train cars.“An announcement told us to open the windows, and passengers worked together to do so. After we exited onto the tracks, I felt scared when I saw people being taken away on stretchers,” said a 54-year-old woman who had been on one of the suspended trains. </s> TOKYO: Fifty-seven people have died due to heat-related medical issues in Japan since last week, the government said on Tuesday, with the number of those taken to hospitals more than tripling to 18,347 from the previous week's 5,664.

The weekly figure for hospitalizations due to high temperatures was the second highest since tallies began in 2008, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

 

 ALSO READ: Japan heatwave kills 65 in one week; weather agency classifyies record-breaking weather as 'natural disaster'

Of the 18,347 people, 729 had severe symptoms, while 6,548 had less serious issues, requiring shorter stays. Those aged 65 and older accounted for 54.3 per cent of the total, the Japan Times reported.

Tokyo had the most people taken to hospitals at 1,857, followed by 1,342 in Aichi Prefecture and 1,307 in Saitama Prefecture.

Deaths were reported across 24 prefectures, with Hokkaido seeing the most at seven, followed by five each in Ibaraki and Saitama.

A high pressure system over the Japanese archipelago preserved extreme heat, said the agency.

It advised people to constantly stay hydrated and rest in cooler areas. </s> Fifty-seven people died due to heat-related medical issues in Japan over the week starting July 29, the government said Tuesday, with the number of those taken to hospitals more than tripling to 18,347 from the previous week’s 5,664.

The weekly figure for hospitalizations due to high temperatures was the second highest since tallies began in 2008, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Of the 18,347 people, 729 had severe symptoms that will require more than three weeks of treatment as an inpatient, while 6,548 had less serious issues, requiring shorter stays. Those age 65 and older accounted for 54.3 percent of the total.

Tokyo had the most people taken to hospitals at 1,857, followed by 1,342 in Aichi Prefecture and 1,307 in Saitama Prefecture. Deaths were reported across 24 prefectures, with Hokkaido seeing the most at seven, followed by five each in Ibaraki and Saitama.

A high pressure system over the Japanese archipelago preserved extreme heat, said the agency. It is advising people to constantly stay hydrated and rest in cooler areas. </s> A continuing heat wave in Japan has led to temperatures as high as 40C, with the casualties climbing up as more deaths were reported.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that until Friday a number of people had been taken to hospital due to heat stroke related symptoms.

The death toll had climbed to 30, after 10 more deaths were reported on Thursday.

Some areas in central Japan registered record high temperatures of 40C, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.

On Friday, temperatures had reached a little above 35C, with the heatwave set to continue over the next few days.

The Tokyo Fire Department reported that, rescue teams Thursday responded to more than 3000 emergency calls as the temperatures soared to 40C and 317 people were taken to hospital.

Students involved in outdoor activities across the country were also affected by the rising temperatures and some were taken to hospital after they showed symptoms of heat stroke and exhaustion.

A six-year-old child died on Tuesday after participating in an outdoor class in school, which led the education ministry to urge educational institutions across the country to adopt preventive measures.

West Japan, still grappling with the devastating effects of torrential rains in the beginning of July, has now been hit by the high temperatures, which are hampering rescue and reconstruction efforts.

High temperatures also caused flight delays on Wednesday from Tokyo's Haneda airport after one of the runway's floor weakened due to heat and caved in, the Japanese transport ministry said. </s> 57 perish from the heatwave in Japan but the 2020 Olympics to be held in the same period

At least 57 people have perished in the last week in Japan based on the horrendous heatwave. At the same time, over 18,000 people have been treated at countless hospitals because of the extremely high temperature and terrible humidity. However, despite this, and the Olympic Committee and Japan knowing full well the problem of heat during this time period in Japan, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will be held during the same period.

Of course, the immediate concern is for people facing the ongoing heatwave in Japan. After all, it is more than likely that the death toll will increase further. Similarly, the number of people going to hospitals will increase further. Hence, it is imperative that people take precautions.

Turning back to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, then it seems incredulous that the Olympics will be held during the same time period. This applies to athletes, volunteers, local people attending the Olympics, and international spectators. Therefore, why hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympics during such horrendous heat and humidity?

The schedule of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the Opening Ceremony on 24 July and the Closing Ceremony on 9 August. In other words, the nightmare period of the usually hot summer will cover the period of the Olympics. This notably applies to late July and the month of August that is extremely hot and humid – and full of pesky mosquitoes.

Of course, the Local Government of Tokyo will take precautions to help athletes and spectators. Yet, the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo were held in the cooler period of October in order to avoid such scorching heat. Hence, enormous expenditure is being spent to alleviate the situation. Also, certain popular events will be held earlier in the day. However, this will hinder many people in Japan from viewing the Olympics based on work and so forth.

The ongoing heatwave will continue in Japan during the August period. Therefore, more people will likely perish from the terrible heat and humidity. Hence, it seems bizarre to hold the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 during the same period.

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https://www.pinterest.co.uk/moderntokyotimes/ Modern Tokyo Times is now on PINTEREST </s> Officials are warning residents in Japan to take precautions during the hottest heatwave in five years. More than 10,000 people have been taken to hospital due to heat stroke-related symptoms according to The Japan Times. Tokyo fire department reported that rescue teams on June 19 responded to more than 3,000 emergency calls with 317 people taken to hospital. Students who have been taking part in activities outside have been affected by scorching temperatures, with some taken to hospital showing signs of exhaustion and heatstroke.

Flights have faced delays due to the sweltering temperatures, with a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport weakening and caving in under the heat. Kyoto City has had temperatures reach above 38C for seven days straight, the longest since records began in the 19th Century. Japan’s Meteorological Agency has predicted that high temperatures could last until August 2.

The temperatures are causing concern for the 2020 Olympics which are being held in Tokyo in the summer months. Whilst hot locations for the Olympics are nothing new, Japan’s combination of scorching heat and smothering humidity can be a deadly combination. How many people have died? The death toll currently stands at 30 people, with 10 deaths reported on Thursday, June 19 alone.

A six-year-old boy died on June 17 after taking part in a lesson outside. This tragedy led to the education ministry advising schools across the country to enact preventive measures. The hot weather will reportedly continue, with Accuweather predicting the death toll will continue to rise. “AccuWeather estimates the death toll from Japan heatwave is likely already in the hundreds despite the official toll of somewhat more than two dozen, and we predict the number will climb into the thousands before the heatwave ends,” AccuWeather President and Founder Dr Joel N. Myers said.

A six-year-old boy died on June 17 after taking part in a lesson outside. This tragedy led to the education ministry advising schools across the country to enact preventive measures. The hot weather will reportedly continue, with Accuweather predicting the death toll will continue to rise. “AccuWeather estimates the death toll from Japan heatwave is likely already in the hundreds despite the official toll of somewhat more than two dozen, and we predict the number will climb into the thousands before the heatwave ends,” AccuWeather President and Founder Dr Joel N. Myers said. “The actual total human toll may not ever be known as heat-related fatality reports are historically underdone since not all deaths are correctly attributed to heat and some result from accelerating serious health issues and the fatalities show up weeks later.
The death toll of the heat wave in Japan rises to 57, while 18,347 others are hospitalized.