The Japan Meteorological Agency will classify days reaching 40°C or higher as "cruelly hot" or kokushobi, starting this summer. The move aims to boost vigilance against extreme heat as such days grow more frequent. The term was selected from a public survey with 478,000 responses.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced on Friday that it will brand days with temperatures of 40°C and above as "cruelly hot" or kokushobi, beginning this summer. The designation seeks to more effectively urge vigilance against extremely high temperatures as heatwaves intensify in the region.
To select the term, JMA surveyed the public and received 478,000 responses. "Cruelly hot" topped the list, followed by "super-extremely hot day" or chomoshobi, with other options including "sauna day," "stay-at-home day," and "boiling day."
The new category complements existing ones: summer day for 25°C and higher, midsummer day for 30°C and higher, and extremely hot day for 35°C and higher. Last year saw Japan's hottest summer since records began in 1889, linked to global warming trends.
