May 15, 2026
TOKYO – The term “kokusho-bi,” meaning brutally hot day, is written next to the 40 C mark on a thermometer in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on Thursday.
The new term was recently created by the Japan Meteorological Agency to refer to a day that has a high of at least 40 C.
The thermometer is usually displayed during the summer in Kumagaya, which is known as one of the hottest cities in the country. At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day, the thermometer is updated to show the local temperature announced by the Kumagaya Meteorological Office.