Lonely Planet Online
28 August '02
The Heat is On

Tokyo is in the hot seat with estimates that the Japanese capital is heating up at four times the pace of global warming. Temperatures have been soaring into the mid and high 30s (Cecius) this summer, hotter than many of the tropical cities of south-east Asia, despite the fact that Tokyo is in the temperate zone. The city's problem is being blamed on the 'heat island' phenomenon - Tokyo is often several degrees warmer than the rural districts surrounding it because of the high concentration of buildings that trap the heat and block out breezes. In addition, millions of vehicles clog the roads, air conditioners pump out huge volumes of hot air, and the city is desperately short of parks and greenery. Authorities have identified the problem, but now have to figure out what they can do about it. They want new buildings to have mandatory gardens on top, but it could be a case of too little too late. Cases of heat stroke are rising each year, tropical plants are becoming more common and so are new types of mosquito carrying the threat of tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Japan's Construction Ministry, always keen for a challenge, has recommended pumping seawater around Tokyo through underground pipes to cool the city, but that scheme is unlikely to see the light of day. In the meantime, Tokyoites try to survive another sweltering summer.


I came to Japan after months of travelling around South-East Asia and India and I had noticed that Japanese summer were hotter than all other countries, except maybe Bangkok in April (the hottest season, before the monsoon) where head-aching pollution doesn't help. Surprisingly, Bangkok is cooler and less humid in July, in spite of the monsoon. Tokyo doesnt suffer much from pollution (compared to Dehli, Bombay, Bangkok, Jakarta or Manila), what is a good thing.