Relentless Heatwave

　It’s the middle day of a three-day weekend. Japanese people have short vacations; they even call a three-day weekend—consisting of a weekend and a national holiday—a vacation. In Kyoto, the number of Japanese tourists seems to be increasing, whilst the number of foreign tourists appears to have dropped slightly. Perhaps many visitors are beginning to realise that the Japanese summer is more muggy and uncomfortable than they had anticipated.

　Even the Yasaka Tower, which is usually a popular ‘Instagrammable’ spot with a constant stream of tourists, has seen fewer visitors due to the extreme heat.

　Even at night, the temperature barely drops below 30 degrees, and these sleepless nights continue. In particular, temperatures are forecast to rise to 40 degrees from around Wednesday. Please take great care to avoid heatstroke.