Tokyo to waive water fees this summer to combat extreme heat
Basic water utility fees will be waived for residents of Tokyo this summer in an effort to limit the impact of extreme heat, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has announced.
More than ¥36bn ($250m; £186m) has been set aside for the subsidies, which will come into effect for a four-month period.
"We would like to create an environment in which all Tokyoites can live in peace even in the extremely hot weather we are expected to experience this summer," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Joike said.
Heatstroke claimed a record 263 lives in Tokyo last summer, according to the Bureau of Public Health. Many victims did not have air conditioning or chose not to use it because of high costs.
"Due to anxieties over living (costs), there may be cases in which people don't use their air conditioners during a heat wave even though they own one," Koike added.#
By offsetting water costs, the government aims to encourage residents of the Japanese capital to use other cooling methods like air conditioning.
In more than 60% of heatstroke deaths recorded indoors last summer, the victims had not turned air conditioning on, the Tokyo Fire Department said, according to the Japan Times.
On average, base water fees in Tokyo cost between ¥860 ($6; £4.50) to ¥1,460 ($10; £7.50) per month, depending on the width of the household's water pipe.
Additional fees - based on water usage and paid on top of base fees - will be charged at their usual rate.
Tokyo has more than 7 million households and a population of more than 14 million, according to government statistics.
Japan recorded its hottest summer on record last year.
Temperatures in June, July and August were 1.76 degrees higher than the average between 1991 and 2020, according to the Japan meteorological agency.
Between June and September, nearly 8,000 people in Tokyo were taken to hospitals for heatstroke - also a record - with a majority of deaths recorded among elderly people.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
7 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Forget stretching — ‘forest bathing' might be the best back pain relief, study reveals
Dealing with back pain can be exhausting. It can mess with your sleep, distract you at work and even make you think twice about leaving the house. If you've already tried the usual advice like stretching, taking painkillers and using a hot water bottle without much relief, new research suggests it might be time to try something different. And it's surprisingly simple. Have you ever heard of forest bathing? It's a Japanese practice known as Shinrin-yoku that involves slowing down and spending quiet, mindful time in nature. Despite the name, it doesn't mean soaking in a stream or hugging trees. It's about switching off, breathing deeply and taking in your surroundings. If you're curious to see how your body responds, using one of the best smart rings could help you monitor changes in sleep, stress and recovery over time. While the study doesn't use the term "forest bathing," what the researchers found lines up with the idea. They discovered that spending time in nature helped people with chronic back pain feel better, both physically and mentally. Here's what the research revealed. The Oura Ring 4 can help you track how your sleep and recovery respond to lifestyle changes. It offers daily insights into rest, stress, and activity levels, making it easier to spot what's working for your body. This small study, carried out by researchers at the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter, looked at how nature might support people living with long-term lower back pain. The team interviewed just 10 participants, all of whom had experienced chronic pain for between five and 38 years. Despite the limited sample size, the insights were hopeful. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Spending time in nature helped people feel less focused on their pain, more socially connected and less stressed overall. Many preferred walking outdoors to being in a gym, and said the fresh air, greenery and sounds of water offered a calming escape from daily discomfort. Some did note that uneven terrain or limited seating made certain places harder to enjoy, but overall, nature was a welcome outlet. You don't need a forest on your doorstep to feel the benefits of being outdoors. Whether you have access to a small park, a garden, or a nearby walking path, spending time in nature regularly, even for just 10 or 15 minutes daily, could help reduce stress and take your mind off physical discomfort. The study showed that spending time outdoors can support both physical pain and mental well-being. But comfort and accessibility are key, especially if you live with back pain. If uneven paths or long walks are difficult, try finding routes with flat, even ground and benches where you can rest. Accessible parks, botanical gardens, or smooth riverside paths can be great places to start. Even if you only have a small garden, balcony, or green space nearby, sitting outside and tuning in to natural sounds like birdsong or rustling trees can still help. If you are hoping to walk more often, a good pair of shoes can really help. We've tested and reviewed the best hiking shoes to help you find supportive options for gentle walks or bigger adventures.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Could Down syndrome be eliminated? Scientists say cutting-edge gene editing tool could cut out extra chromosome
Cutting-edge gene editing technology could eradicate Down syndrome, according to Japanese scientists. Down syndrome, which causes a range of developmental differences and affects 1 in 700 newborns in the United States, is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. The extra chromosome, also known as trisomy 21, causes cellular overactivity, compromises a range of processes within the body, and can manifest in distinctive physical traits, learning difficulties, and health concerns. Advertisement Now new research out of Mie University in Japan suggests that by using the DNA-modifying tech CRISPR, it is possible to remove the surplus chromosome in affected cells and bring cellular behavior closer to typical function. 3 Down syndrome, which causes a range of developmental differences and affects 1 in 700 newborns in the United States, is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. Mongkolchon – CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing system that utilizes an enzyme to identify specific DNA sequences. Once the enzyme locates a matching site, it snips through the DNA strands. Ryotaro Hashizume and his colleagues designed CRISPR guides to target only the trisomy 21 chromosome, a process called allele-specific editing, which directs the cutting enzyme to the desired spot. Advertisement When they used it on lab-grown cells, removing the extra copy of the gene normalized the way the genes expressed themselves in the body — suggesting that the genetic burden had been removed. They also found that after the extra chromosome was removed, genes tied to nervous system development were more active and those related to metabolism were less active. This backs up previous research that found extra copies of chromosome 21 disrupt brain development during early fetal growth. Researchers also tested their CRISPR guides on skin fibroblasts, which are mature, non-stem cells taken from people with Down syndrome. Advertisement In these fully developed cells, the editing method successfully removed the extra chromosome in a number of cases. 3 Hashizume and his team designed CRISPR guides to target only the trisomy 21 chromosome, a process called allele-specific editing, which directs the cutting enzyme to the desired spot. Gorodenkoff – After removal, these corrected cells grew faster and had a shorter doubling time than untreated cells, suggesting that removing the extra chromosome may help with the biological strain that slows down cell growth. Advertisement But the CRISPR can affect healthy chromosomes, too, and researchers are refining their program so that it only attaches to the extra copy of chromosome 21. This work proves that, rather than making small fixes, CRISPR can eliminate an entire chromosome. The scientists published their findings in PNAS Nexus. Hashizume and his team are hopeful that their work may be used to design regenerative therapies and treatments that address genetic surplus at its source. 3 Researchers also tested their CRISPR guides on skin fibroblasts, mature, non-stem cells taken from people with Down syndrome. Yakobchuk Olena – Researchers will continue to analyze the risks of DNA changes and monitor how modified cells function over time and their viability in real-world settings. A recent case study explored a medical mystery related to Down syndrome; the brain of an American woman with Down syndrome showed all the classic signs of Alzheimer's disease, yet she remained symptom-free throughout her lifetime. Advertisement People with Down syndrome face a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer's-related dementia as they age — an estimated three to five times higher than the general population. Scientists are still working to pinpoint the exact cause, but it's believed that the extra copy of chromosome 21 drives the overproduction of amyloid precursor protein. This excess production leads to the buildup of amyloid beta plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I created the Japanese walking workout on my Apple Watch — here's how to do it
The Japanese walking method made headlines recently as a science-backed way to lower your blood pressure and burn more fat. The interval walking method originated in Japan, and is a form of HIIT training. As its name suggests, you alternate your pace throughout. It's pretty simple: you walk for three minutes at a low intensity, then walk three minutes at a high intensity, raising your heart rate and moving quickly. You keep switching pace for 30 minutes. Yet if you don't want to walk along looking at your phone or stopwatch for the entire workout, the easiest thing to do is set up the walk as a custom workout on your Apple Watch. You should be able to do this with most of the best Apple Watches on the market that run watchOS 11 (if you're using an Apple Watch 4, 5 or original SE, you won't be able to do this). Once you've set these intervals, you can name the workout and save it to your Apple Watch. When you select the workout, the watch will alert you every time you need to change pace, meaning you won't need to keep looking at your phone or stopwatch as you walk. When you're walking, you'll be able to see how long you have left in each interval, as well as your average pace and your heart rate. If you decide the walking workout isn't for you, you can delete custom workouts at any time. Simply head to the workout from your Apple Watch, and click the edit icon in the top right-hand corner. Once you're in the workout, scroll down to the bottom and click Delete Workout. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If you're meeting up with a friend who is also using an Apple Watch, you can send them the workout from your watch from this screen, using the 'Send Workout' option. If you're creating a running workout, or something more intense, you might want to add a warm-up and cool-down. You can build a custom workout in all Activity types on the Apple Watch, aside from Multisport and Open Swim. It's a great way to remove the guesswork from your session, and use the watch to complete in-depth training sessions. Looking for more inspiration? Why not try these walking workouts next:
