1,488 hospitalized for heatstroke from June 10-16

the agency is calling on schools to carefully monitor students’ condition during athletic meets.

like this is gonna happen. it seems like school officials are clueless when it comes to postponing of stopping a sport's event when the temperatures soar.

Still see plenty of people out and about in cardigans ancd coats and scarves, even when it gets up to high 20's. Odd.

The stupidest thing yes is to be in this heat and humidity and wear all BLACK, have scarves, these black long arm things, and worry about keeping your skin more "white" than keeping your body cool and hydrated! When will some people ever learn?? Maybe never??

It is very hot already. Every one should really take care of themselves. Heatstroke is dangerous and can be fatal as this article pointed out. A good nights sleep and lots of water is probably the best prevention.

" 47.1% were aged 65 or older"

Which means more than 50% were not. And I'm willing to bet that of that 50%, the majority were kids out practicing or carrying out sports day on the dirt fields.

"the agency is calling on schools to carefully monitor students’ condition during athletic meets."

Yeah right. As with many facets of society here, the kids will only be 'carefully monitored' after they collapse, if at all. No matter how many reports of kids suffering heatstroke during sports day events or club activities in peak temperatures, the schools refuse to entertain the idea of postponing or canceling, mainly because it would displease mom and pop, and the grandparents they put the show on for (most students I talk to actually don't like sports day or practicing for it). Practicality is simply not an option in this case, and these are only the cases of people HOSPITALIZED, never mind the people who suffer heatstroke but are not.

As for the elderly people who suffer it, many are those who go to their hobby farms in the middle of the day under the scorching sun, or people who wear too much clothing to try and cover up from the sun (not that you should expose yourself completely or anything).

Take care of yourselves, people; it is yet only mid-June. As for the people who cannot take care of themselves -- ex., kids forced to practice clubs/sports day events in super-heated gyms or bleached dirt fields, I ask those who are responsible for their care to try and use their brains.

JT eds, are we to be treated to this running heatstroke box score week after week this summer? Point made. Time to move on.

Of the 53% under 65 years old how many were school children participating in sporting events? Obviously, there is a need to educate people on safe summer practices. They should start by telling people not to drink green tea during the days. It is a diuretic and will make you sick!

Common sense people...common sense please. Sadly same same this year too. The problem is that, with climate change, Japan has become a tropical country three months out of the year...without the tropical culture that other countries have.

Ok Wipeout, lets go for a walk in the Australian dessert. I'll take a liter of water and you can take two liters of green tea and I'll come to visit you in the hospital. Green tea does not rehydrate you. It makes you pee, which dehydrates you. Cheers!

On these days I mostly drink just water

for once, mr zichi, I agree with you. Its the only thing to drink, at least till you get home and crawl to the fridge, like wot I just done. Kanpai!

I ask those who are responsible for their care to try and use their brains.

... if they have one, or at least half a one.

" 47.1% were aged 65 or older"

No doubt, the moronic decisions for the kids to continue with their sports events in this heat and humidity were made mostly by the geniuses populating that 47.1%. So much for wisdom coming with age and experience.

I don't understand why this should be in the headlines week after week.

Disillusioned and Wipeout,

You're both right but not to the extent you think. Green tea has caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic. But it has less caffeine than sodas or coffee. So you must drink more green tea to get the diuretic effect.

Plus, I don't think people are drinking green tea in the summer heat, I think they're drinking mugi-cha.

http://www.yourteahq.com/diureticgreentea/

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm

I asked my boss once why they kids must go to long sports practice during summer holiday at he said the simple truth 'We (Japanese) think the children need to learn to be tough.' This is a theme that seems to be a large part of education in Japan, so most adults believe that they are helping the children build character, or that they should not whine over heat if they have things to get done.

While I admire the underlined message of endurance, this recurring news reminds me that 'too much of a good thing' is never good. It often passes the education point and falls more into the area of corporal punishment. But I think many well-intentioned adults might fail to see the line. Or eager kids might not realize their limits.