Roppongi › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Thursday 24th July, 06:19 AM JST

Roppongi residents pour water on the street to lower the temperature in the area. The custom is known as “uchi-mizu” in Japan.

Latest 15 of 58 Total Comments Show All

USNinJapan2 at 06:04 PM JST - 24th July

hikikomori08

But what about the tens of thousands of shop owners splashing water on the dirty pavement and thus mud all over the place? Using rainwater? Nope. Water straight from the kitchen tap? Yep. Eco?

That's why they ask citizens to use bathwater instead of fresh water just like they recommend filling your washing machine with the same. But I guess if you choose not to listen...
hikikomori08 at 06:17 PM JST - 24th July

That's why they ask citizens to use bathwater instead of fresh water just like they recommend filling your washing machine with the same. But I guess if you choose not to listen...

Hands up number of citizens, Japanese or otherwise, who waited for their used bathwater to cool down and then cooled it in the fridge so that it may have any cooling effect outside on the dirty pavement? And hands up the number of citizens that brought their dirty used bathwater to work and splashed their germs all over the pavement on the street? What a quaint but dirty custom.
borscht at 07:03 PM JST - 24th July

I think if they hosed the concrete down the temperature would also go down, but dribbling the little bit of water they seem to be doing in the picture won't affect the temperature much nor the humidity. It's symbolic, if nothing else. And a good excuse for a Party! Bring on the cold beer! By the way, a recent Japanese TV show showed that the average US citizen uses less water than the average Japanese citizen. (Despite the bathing habits in both areas of the world.)
UnagiDon at 07:41 PM JST - 24th July

USNnJapan2;

Well said.
Alphaape at 09:05 PM JST - 24th July

USN, I have lived in San Diego and Honolulu as well as on the banks of big rivers in America as well as here in Nippon, and I am familiar with the difference between storm drains and sewers. When was the last time it has rained measurably this July? The drain outside of my home in Yokosuka still has a little water in it, but not much. My only comments were that it looks like the water seems pretty clear to me than to be run off. Not knocking the customs and traditions of Japan at all.
kavikahi at 10:18 PM JST - 24th July

At least it is doing something, realistically cars have got to go, the sooner the better, eliminate concrete and blacktop, plant trees. That is culture I could live with, anywhere.
USNinJapan2 at 10:25 PM JST - 24th July

Alphaape

My previous comments about foreigners blindly ridiculing local customs and traditions weren't aimed at you.

I don't know how much rain we've had this July but I don't think it's relevent because having these vast underground reservoirs means you can collect the rain when it falls in abundance and save it for when you run short on water supply. I don't know if the water is purified in any way but I imagine that considerable settling occurs while the water sits in the reservoirs. Did you check out the link I posted earlier? It will give an idea of just how enormous these underground reservoirs are. Here it is again: http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=Skp81uz8ZL8&feature=PlayList&p=D0E6C5BE765B62EC&index=29
PrinceskaNo1 at 10:44 PM JST - 24th July

In Japan the whole family bathes in the same water, then they use the dirty water to wash their clothes in the laundry and then they use this water to cool the cement. Great cycle!
Wottock_Hunt at 10:46 PM JST - 24th July

USN: I just checked your link out, and, impressive as the architecture is, I did not see any water about. What I saw (working on the assumption that it wasn't just a bunch of CG) was a huge storm drain, designed to deliver water out of the location where it landed and towards the sea. Not a reservoir by any stretch of the imagination.

And, when you think about it, that is probably for the better. Can you imagine the disease potential of lakes of stagnant water beneath a city this size?

I suspect. like many things old ladies like to do, this is an empty ritual into which the minimum of effort but the maximum of pointless fussing was put. In short, they're pouring tap water on hot concrete.

Just what we need - more moisture in the air.

Couple of trees? No. What we really need is a bunch of old women who think they know everything.
KitsuneYoukai at 10:53 PM JST - 24th July

I'm sorry you guys but unless you are pouring out the water for long periods of time, pouring water from bottles onto hot pavement will not make it cooler. Does anyone know their chemistry!!!! That water is going to evaporate so quickly if it is as hot as they say and that steam rising is not going to be cool.
USNinJapan2 at 07:06 AM JST - 25th July

Wottock Hunt

If you search Google Image for 'underground reservoir Tokyo' you should see a few photos listed from flickr. Sorry the link for the photos are just too long to post. You'll see that they're not drains that transport but reservoirs that hold rain water.
Wottock_Hunt at 04:25 PM JST - 25th July

USN - did that, still found nothing to convince me, but assuming you're right I think it's a pretty safe bet the water in these bottles did not come from a trip down the underground reservoirs. They turned on the taps and threw good water away because an old crone told them to. This is Japanese culture - ahhhh so, desu ne.
USNinJapan2 at 06:33 PM JST - 25th July

Wottock Hunt

I don't want to drag this out unnecessarily but here's the original story in Japanese. Don't know if you can read it but the last line clearly states that the 200 liters of water that was used came from the emergency reservoir located under midtown Tokyo. Whether or not you believe this reporting is up to you.

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0722/TKY200807220306.html
WilliB at 11:41 PM JST - 26th July

Funny thing, in a sauna people pour water on the hot stones to make it hotter. Here they think the extra humidity will make it cooler. Come again?
NagoyaGaijin at 03:12 PM JST - 28th July

WilliB--in saunas, they dont pour water on the stones to make it hotter. They pour water on the stones to get steam.

As far as the sniping regarding this idea of pouring water on the street to cool it off. . . I dont know JUST how effective it is. I am willing to bet that the people who really believe it works will FEEL a bit cooler...and those who believe that it will only make things worse will FEEL a bit hotter...the mind is a powerful thing.