TOKYO - Persistent extreme heat has upended familiar elements of summer life in Japan, with long-standing traditions such as morning glory observation homework and radio exercises disrupted by high temperatures.
According to the Japan Weather Association’s ranking of prefectural capitals by the number of “extremely hot days” (temperatures at or above 35°C), Kyoto topped the list with 61 days, followed by Kofu with 59, and Nagoya and Maebashi with 52 each. By contrast, Naha in Okinawa recorded zero extremely hot days this summer. The highest temperature in Naha was 34°C on September 12th, with July and August averages about two degrees cooler than Tokyo. Meteorologist Makoto Kawazu explained that Okinawa’s climate is moderated by surrounding seas and the absence of high mountains, limiting the impact of the Foehn phenomenon.
Kawazu, who spent his summer vacation in Okinawa, noted, “If you avoid direct sunlight, it is cooler and more comfortable than Tokyo.”
The heat has also forced changes to the tradition of radio calisthenics, which began in 1928 under the Ministry of Communications. The National Radio Calisthenics Federation said more communities and schools are no longer holding morning sessions, mainly due to the heat. On August 5th, Tokyo recorded 30°C at 6:30 a.m., the standard time for exercises. In places where the program continues, it has been shortened to just one week at the start or end of summer vacation, a shift from the once month-long practice. The familiar stamp cards, once distributed at schools and exchanged for stationery prizes, are now often obtained online or at post offices and can be used year-round.
Another tradition, the summer homework of observing morning glories assigned to first graders, has also been disrupted. Associate Professor Nitasaka of Kyushu University said the plant is usually easy to grow because it has large seeds and resists disease, but this year’s extreme conditions caused widespread failures. On social media, parents reported that flowers did not bloom, plants withered, and in some cases children substituted drawings of mud balls when their morning glories died. “Only one child in the class managed to get seeds,” one parent wrote, while another described the assignment as “broken as homework.”
Nitasaka explained that while morning glories are heat-tolerant, they are vulnerable to drought, and prolonged daylight hours can prevent flowering. This year’s low rainfall compounded the problem. With summers growing hotter, schools and families may need to reconsider the traditional shape of summer assignments.
Source: TBS
