picture of the day

The big heat

45 Comments

People sunbathe on benches at a park in Tokyo. Temperatures soared past 35 degrees in the metropolitan area on Thursday.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

45 Comments
Login to comment

"Sunbathe"? The person in the background is nearly fully covered, and the girl in front had at least 2 layers of clothing on.

Reminds me, NHK were interviewing people about the heat and its danger, and several of the women complaining about it were wearing three layers of clothing, and one even had on black gloves! No wonder so many people are dropping from heat exhaustion.

3 ( +13 / -10 )

Nice legs!

25 ( +29 / -5 )

JeffLee, desert people like the Bedouin often wear real full-body clothing, robes that cover the head too and often two or three layers. This preserves body moisture, and is done in a way that also keeps the body cool. I went out two days ago in only a tank top and got my white skin pinked! Ouch! Long sleeves rest of wk.

Serrano- I thought so too, I wonder if this cameraman could've gotten caught for tousatsu!!

5 ( +9 / -4 )

What does that enormou tat on her arm say?

Weird way of "sunbathing", I'd say. They look more like they all passed out there on those benches.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

@serrano: rush, seat next to her is still vacant :)

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Could also be a shot from 28 Days Later.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

JeffLee Jul. 12, 2013 - 06:26AM JST

and the girl in front had at least 2 layers of clothing on.

how do you know this person is a female? by just looking at the picture, there doesn't seem to be anything definitive to indicate that this person is a female. what makes you think this person is a female?

-30 ( +0 / -30 )

@calr751 I havent seen a guy with such nicely shaved legs and long hair.

then again, Ive never been to thailand.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

That actually kinda looks like fun.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Probably should read: "People Collapsing from Heat Stroke - Photographer Stands Idly By"

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Perhaps some people have a different definition of 'sunbathing' than I do, because in particular with the girl COVERING (not exposing) her face it doesn't seem like they are lying down to bathe in the sun at all. The two dudes in the back look relatively comfortable, but this young woman's position makes it look like she'll be in some pain when she wakes up

Lowly: "JeffLee, desert people like the Bedouin often wear real full-body clothing, robes that cover the head too and often two or three layers."

The desert is not at all the same thing as downtown in a large metropolis, and I'm guessing the former is somewhat less humid. You NEED to cover up like that in the desert to preserve body fluids and for the biostasis you mention (sweat coming to the surface and the air cooling you down), but you don't here.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

papigiulio Jul. 12, 2013 - 08:43AM JST

such nicely shaved legs and long hair.

you don't know if this person really has such nicely shaved legs. you are looking at a photo. it all depends on the shooting condition. too much light and a little bit of blur by out of focus shot can make any human legs look nicely shaved. if you are using a digital camera, then the image will be distorted further by poor compression algorithms.

-22 ( +0 / -22 )

how do you know this person is a female?

Because I am a very observant person with a lot of keen insights.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

smithinjapan Jul. 12, 2013 - 08:55AM JST

I'm not surprised you'd see a woman and ask if she might be a man.

when I see a woman, then I will know. but here on the picture, I don't see a woman. I see a person who has some features that could be found on other women. I can't prove that this person is really a female only by looking at the picture. can you?

-19 ( +0 / -19 )

the tat looks like Mommy or Money

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Another impolite attitude, those are taking the whole space on that benches so nobody can sit so they can relax but then again, who cares...

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

"She's dead Jim!"

Nothing like walking out of the office that was a mild 24c (shhhhhh we adjusted it when no one was looking) into the Otemachi furnace to get lunch and sweating through everything right down to your gonch. Almost makes you want to be a true Scotsman and wear a kilt a la commando style. I'm sure the ladies must think about it as well if it wasn't for the shortened hem lines and upskirting freaks out there.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Like Knox said, they look more to me like being passed out rather than sunbathing.

And totally irrelevant to the heat issue but the person in the front - clean legs or not - is female!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Looks like a nice victim

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Nice legs!

That's one thing that's nice about Japan, you can have a sexy woman like that taking a break without pretty much being groped or bothered. In most other countries, she'd be summer bait.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Outstanding photo! My jaw hit the floor!!

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

bassfunk: That's one thing that's nice about Japan, you can have a sexy woman like that taking a break without pretty much being groped or bothered. In most other countries, she'd be summer bait.

Right, because groping isn't a problem at all in Japan. Incredulous eye roll.....

7 ( +8 / -1 )

calr751: "you don't know if this person really has such nicely shaved legs."

It is the person's opinion -- you cannot say he or she is wrong.

"when I see a woman, then I will know."

Actually, all you've proven is that you are one of the least able people who can differentiate between the sexes. How do YOU know what you think is a woman is a woman, truly? I mean, even if totally naked and you can see the person's genitals, according to you they may still be asexual and you just may not know. Seriously!

bass4funk: "That's one thing that's nice about Japan, you can have a sexy woman like that taking a break without pretty much being groped or bothered."

You're joking, right? I'll bet you a million dollars that it was a man who took this picture and had no qualms about walking up to a sleeping woman to take a pic of her flat on her back.

To add, I'm with Citizen on this one. Everyone can understand and relate to the extreme heat and how lethargic it makes you, so what happens when a bench that can seat up to several people is taken up by someone snoozing on it? Same with public libraries and book shops -- I looked for a place to study in my nearby library the other day and ALL of the seats were taken up by old people who wanted to sleep in free air-conditioning.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Funny yet germane to the conversation....

The tat on her arm says "Woman"..... :-) no, really it does....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Another impolite attitude, those are taking the whole space on that benches so nobody can sit

There are two benches with no one sitting on them. Complaining about something that doesn't need complaining about is pretty impolite, if you ask me. and what do you mean, another impolite attitude? Are you acquainted personally with these people, and know that they are riddled with impoliteness? Or are you simply venting a bit of racist venom?

And what others are saying about safety is true, in many countries that young lady would have her bag snatched from under her head the moment her eyes closed.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Paramedics were called shortly after this picture was taken is not over thinking the situation!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What did I say this time..??? Ok wld lethargic pass?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@cleo

And what others are saying about safety is true, in many countries that young lady would have her bag snatched from under her head the moment her eyes closed.

For once we definitely agree on something. Nice to see that people can close their eyes and not to have worry about being bothered.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

bass4funk: "Nice to see that people can close their eyes and not to have worry about being bothered."

In some cases, yes. However if this woman OPENED her eyes she'd see someone (likely a man) standing over her taking pictures. Just because your eyes are closed does not mean there aren't problems. Does it beat being beaten up, randomly stabbed (as happens in Japan all the time) or slashed, having things stolen? for sure. Does it mean that is unique to this nation and such crimes would definitely happen all of the time, everywhere else? not at all.

Anyway, I still think this looks very uncomfortable, especially for the woman. The other people on the benches have their legs bent over the sides at a point where they're not going to be hurting much later, but this young woman is lying in a slightly more awkward position, and they're all in direct sunlight to boot (perhaps weren't at first). To each their own, I guess.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This morning from Kokubunji to Shinjuku, the Japanese young lady in front of me looked as if she were about to pass out, as soon as we got into Shinjuku, she was the first to get off and she crashed head first into the kiosk and ended up falling and sitting in the middle of thousands of people, who like me were only trying to get to work on time. Japan needs to slow down in these horrible hot and humid days and STOP WEARING BLACK crap clothing!!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

She has some very nice looking legs.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Been staring at those leg all day, and wondering why she seems to be trying to undo her top, and what is that blue thing over her face???

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

smith-

so so glad you set me straight on that because I didn't know, even have an inkling, that here we have humidity, ie vast amounts of moisture in the air, whereas deserts do not have such moisture.

If only you could read between the lines, Jeff complaining about ppl dropping from heatstroke wearing so much clothing like a stupid, and me coining a fetching cute term to be "pinked", and talking about how you don't want to expose yourself in the heat. The bedouin thing just thrown in as spice as an example of an extreme heat environment where you really have to cover up, and no it's not just because of the moisture but also exposure there too.

Well, if only she were uncovered, all the leg-gazers (and surely us as well) would be happier, and surely the bottom would be gotten to of the controversy about whether she is a man, he is a woman, or asexual or she-male. But then, if she were uncovered, this wouldn't be JT we're looking at.

Ya, exposure. Keep safe.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

WoW Where is this place!!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

People sunbathe on benches at a park in Tokyo. Temperatures soared past 35 degrees in the metropolitan area on Thursday.

They looked like they've been zapped by aliens.

(Irony alert!!...) Well done, JT. Good to know you are reinforcing all the advice about avoiding heatstroke.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Marilita, thanks! you may be right, some people do not eat well, work too much, do not sleep enough and then this poor woman in front of me on the Chuo train faints and hits her head, but this horrible heat and extreme humidity is really really bad!! No idea why these people want to suffer in the sun and humidity, then they wonder why they get heat stroke! Japan needs more common sense about how to deal with hot weather and high humidity! Gracias!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Because they're forever concious on how thin they wanna be. They think being thin is cool..so when the body needs the energy for extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter their bodies can't take it...malnourished in the right sense of the word.thus leaving them lethargic. I don't even understand what " natsu bate" mean, I never felt or had it..30 summer years and not once have I felt such..madre de cacao!!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Lowly,

JeffLee, desert people like the Bedouin often wear real full-body clothing, robes that cover the head too and often two or three layers.

Very true.

On the other hand, deserts don't tend to be very humid.

If I wore Bedouin gear in Tokyo or Okinawa, I'd melt!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The big heat

Wrong, The SUPER HOT !!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yeah, Bedouin gear is great for dry heat. Turn up the humidity and you suffer. Like Ebina. But I think a shot of sunbathing should include the beach at Enoshima. A pic of people sprawled on park benches in street clothes isn't sunbathing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I answered the bedouin thing in my second post. You guys didn't get it, it's not only about humidity and aridity.

Covering has its place.

But we've had a VERY early end to the rainy season, like a wk or more, and I only hope that Fall also comes sooner. I hate these Kansai summers. I will go out of my mind. These ppl in the pic are collapsed and legs akimbo for a reason.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Grief, I thought 28 today in Glasgow was hot... well it is really... but 35... eep! Hottest I've experienced in Japan is 31, and that burnt me even through Factor 50.

This young lady looks like she's just given up walking around and decided to sleep in the sun like a sleepy cat. I wonder if the tattoo is a temporary one... or is she a rock band fan? Either way... yes, nice legs ^_^

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What does that enormou tat on her arm say?

I couldn't figure it out. Here it is isolated and rotated:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/59191044/tat.PNG

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm wondering if it's Latin or French... seems to end in 'me' I think.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Lowly: I guess you've never walked through a working-class district of muggy, sticky Bangkok in the hot season. Standard attire for men is shorts, sandals and little else. How, hey, what do they know?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites