Japan reveals new name for 40C-and-hotter days after blistering summer
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) has introduced a new term, "kokushobi," to describe days reaching 40°C (104°F) or above, reflecting the country's record-breaking heat last summer.
- The term, meaning "cruelly hot" or "brutally hot," was chosen through a national online survey with nearly 478,000 responses, becoming the most popular among 13 options.
- Japan already has established terms for days exceeding 25°C, 30°C, and 35°C, with this new designation addressing increasingly extreme heat events.
- Summer 2025 was the hottest on record since 1898, with nationwide temperatures averaging 2.36°C above normal and multiple days exceeding 40°C, including a peak of 41.8°C in Isesaki.
- The JMA forecasts a high likelihood of above-normal temperatures for Japan from June to August this year, indicating continued extreme heat risks.
