Tokyo Logs Ten-Day Heat Streak

Aug 27, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A late-summer heat wave pushed central Tokyo to its 10th consecutive day meeting the 'extremely hot' threshold of 35°C on August 27, updating the all-time records both for the longest streak and for the annual count of such days. By 2 p.m., the city had reached 36.0°C as crowds moved under parasols and sought shade in Shibuya despite the month drawing to a close.

Shoppers and students described the heat as searing. A teenage girl said, “It’s so hot it feels like my body is burning. I just want it to cool down soon,” while a teenage boy noted, “The sun is so strong that I’m sweating even when I’m standing still. It feels like it gets hotter every year.”

The prolonged heat is reshaping how visitors plan trips. A tourist from Germany summed up the experience by saying, “This is everything you need to know—I won’t come in August again.” Another woman, unaccustomed to Japan’s humidity, said she bought a portable fan as soon as she arrived and now considers it essential.

The heat extended across the Kanto region. More than 100 locations registered highs of at least 35°C by 2 p.m., including 39.4°C in Hatoyama, Saitama Prefecture; 38.7°C in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture; and 38.7°C in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, where many people walked with handheld fans. With Tuesday’s reading, central Tokyo’s total number of extremely hot days this year reached 23, also a record.

Clouds are expected to increase over Kanto on August 28 with a chance of spotty showers. The forecast high for central Tokyo is 32°C, which—if realized—would keep the city below the extremely hot threshold for the first time in 11 days.

Source: TBS

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Golden Ginkgo Tunnel Lights Up Sapporo

Hokkaido University's famous ginkgo avenue in Sapporo has reached its peak autumn color, attracting residents and tourists to the campus ahead of the two-day Hokudai Golden Leaf Festival on October 31 and November 1, an event that drew 35,000 visitors last year.

Wakayama's Famous Sea Rocks Come Alive After Dark

A spectacular illumination of the Hashigui Rocks, a nationally designated natural monument in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, is set to begin on October 30, transforming a series of unusual coastal rock formations into a colorful nighttime attraction.

Japan's First Wintry Blast Brings Snow and Freezing Winds

Japan's first major cold spell of the season brought snow, freezing winds and record-low autumn temperatures across the country, with 639 observation points registering their coldest readings of the season on October 29, while forecasts issued that evening indicated that temperatures would recover on October 30 as rain spread across much of the country.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Early Snow Blankets Japan as Winter Arrives Ahead of November

Japan's first significant snowfall of the season has brought winter conditions to Hokkaido and northern Honshu, with snow depths exceeding 10 centimeters in several mountain and inland locations on October 28, while a fresh wave of cold air is expected to bring further snowfall over the weekend of October 31 and November 1.

Osaka's Tsutenkaku Tower Celebrates 70th Anniversary

Osaka's iconic Tsutenkaku Tower celebrated the 70th anniversary of its reopening on October 28, marking seven decades since the landmark was rebuilt in 1956 as a symbol of the city's postwar recovery, while new attractions continue to draw visitors to the surrounding Shinsekai entertainment district.

Strong Earthquake Shakes Narita Airport

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck northeastern Chiba Prefecture at around 12:07 a.m. on October 29, registering a maximum intensity of 5-lower on Japan's seven-level seismic scale and sending tremors across a wide area of eastern and central Japan, including Narita Airport, where footage captured the moment of shaking.

Japan's Tax-Free Shopping Overhaul to Reshape Inbound Tourism Strategies

Japan will introduce a major overhaul of its tax-free shopping system for foreign visitors on November 1, replacing immediate tax exemptions at stores with a refund system that requires travelers to pay the full consumption tax upfront and claim reimbursement when leaving the country, a change expected to reshape retail strategies and purchasing behavior across the tourism industry.

< 2 3 4 5 >