“災害級の暑さ”熱中症疑いで5人死亡…今年初の『酷暑日』岐阜・愛知で40度超【報道ステーション】(2026年7月21日)

On the 21st, temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in Tajimi City and Gujo City in Gifu Prefecture, and in Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture, marking the first recorded "extreme heat day" of the year. At least five people nationwide may have died from heatstroke, and in Tokyo, the number of people transported to hospitals suspected of heatstroke reached a record high of 261. ■ Over 40 Degrees in Gifu: A Battle Against the Heat Mino ware, a traditional craft of Gifu Prefecture. At a kiln in Tajimi City, pottery making continued on the 21st. Ryotaro Kato, 8th generation owner of Kobei Kiln: "It's still over 100 degrees, so it's hot. Sweat is pouring out. It's hot." Electric kilns are used during the summer. There are also wood-fired kilns that fire at over 1000 degrees, but they are closed during the intense heat. Ryotaro Kato, 8th generation of Kobei Kiln (Q. You need to continue creating works even in the summer) "There are deadlines, so we fire in electric and gas kilns even in the summer." He says that air conditioning cannot be used because the drying time of the clay and paint affects the finished product. It is truly a battle against the heat. However, there is a slight worry. Ryotaro Kato, 8th generation of Kobei Kiln "If the 'boiling of the Earth' progresses, I worry that we may no longer be able to create in this location." ■Even in a city with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, there are few people… In Tajimi City, the temperature rose rapidly, reaching a scorching 40.3 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in Japan this year. It became the hottest city in Japan on the 21st. Only a few people gathered in the fountain square. The area in front of the station was also enveloped in silence. Food truck in front of the station (Q. How were sales on the 21st?) "Not at all on the 21st. There were...too hot." "As you can see, there were hardly any people." "I think summer is definitely hotter than when we were young. It wasn't this hot." On the 21st, three locations nationwide recorded extreme heat. The number of days with scorching heat also reached a new high for the year. In Aichi and Gifu prefectures, a total of 134 people have been taken to the hospital by ambulance suspected of heatstroke. Woman from Gifu City "When I was in elementary school, we would just open the windows at school in the summer, and it wasn't this hot. I could even sleep with the window open. It's been getting hotter every year, and the heat has become incomparably worse." ■Pools are lukewarm... In July 2006, there were only two days a month with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, but 20 years later, this year there were 21 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, making it eight consecutive days. Central Tokyo experienced two consecutive days of scorching heat. Temperatures soared to a year-high of 36.4 degrees Celsius, creating a "flower of parasols" at Shibuya's scramble crossing. On the 21st, heatstroke warnings were issued in 42 prefectures nationwide—the highest number this year. Even swimming pools, a popular escape from the heat, didn't offer the expected coolness. Child: "It's lukewarm." Mother: "It's just tap water first thing in the morning..." The intense sunlight quickly raises the water temperature. Sota Kasahara, Maebashi Municipal Pool: "When it exceeds 30 degrees, we add water to keep it cool. We're careful to regulate the water temperature to prevent heatstroke, so that's the challenging part." ■ Tokyo sees record-high number of heatstroke cases As of 9 PM in Tokyo, 261 people had been transported to hospitals suspected of heatstroke. This is the highest number since 2022, when daily figures began to be released. Fatal cases were also reported in various locations. In Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture, a 91-year-old man was found dead in a field shortly after 1 PM. In addition, two people died in Ibaraki Prefecture, and one each in Gunma and Niigata Prefectures. Heatstroke is suspected as the cause of death in all cases. [TV Asahi NEWS] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp