If the heat makes you feel unwell while travelling in Japan

Heat illness is the term for a range of symptoms that occur when heat stops the body from regulating its temperature properly. In Japan it is called 熱中症. It can occur not only in direct sun but also when resting in a hot, humid room.

Take care too when sweating heavily or feeling weak in the hands and feet. Do not decide on a diagnosis — or assume all is well — from body temperature or sweating alone. Also check whether the person is alert, whether their responses and walk are normal, and whether they can drink water on their own. If anything seems wrong, cool them down right away and ask for help.

Before you leave home and before going out at your destination, check the time of issue, the target dates and the areas. The heat index is not the same figure as the temperature in a weather app or body temperature. Look at the value from the nearest observation point, but remember sunshine and wind where you actually are may differ — also watch your surroundings and how you feel.

The standard heat illness alert, 熱中症警戒アラート, is issued when the day’s highest WBGT is forecast to reach 33 or above at any point in the target area. This 33 does not mean an air temperature of 33°C. Heat illness can still occur without an alert, depending on your condition, activity and surroundings.

熱中症特別警戒アラート is a special alert issued when dangerous heat is expected across several areas and there is a risk of serious harm to health. Stay in a cool place and keep an eye on your companions too. If you plan to attend an event, check first whether the organiser has cancelled it or changed the date or venue, then set out.

On hot days, keep midday outings to a minimum. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also advises resting often in the shade and avoiding the heat. Indoors too, control the temperature with air conditioning and drink often.

It is best to cut plans that involve long walks or queuing outdoors first. After seeing one place, build in rest time at your accommodation or in an air-conditioned room. Even if you shift plans to the morning or evening, move only after checking the heat index and how you feel at that time.

Children and older people regulate body heat differently, so they need extra care. Ask your companions whether they feel very hot or unwell. If someone seems less energetic than usual or is responding differently, stop the activity. If the resting place is a long walk away, it is better to shorten the plan.

A cooling shelter (クーリングシェルター) is an air-conditioned facility designated by the local government as a place to escape the heat. When a special heat illness alert is issued, it is supposed to open at the set times. For details such as the dates and hours you can use it, check the city or ward office of that area.

Even if it is on the list, check separately whether you can enter now. Look at the facility’s dates and hours, and when you arrive ask staff where you can rest. If you already have an air-conditioned place to stay, you do not have to move to a cooling shelter.

Rather than walking far in the heat to find a particular facility, ask for help nearby first. If consciousness or walking seems abnormal, or the person cannot drink water on their own, do not spend time searching for facilities — call 119 and cool them down.

Being indoors does not remove the danger of heat. Heat illness can occur indoors too, so control the temperature with air conditioning. Get medical care if dizziness or a headache continues. Call 119 if someone is unconscious or cannot drink water on their own.

If the air conditioning is broken or there is a power cut, ask staff whether there is somewhere cool to rest, whether you can move to another room, and when the air conditioning is likely to work again. If you need to move to different accommodation, ask the accommodation and the company you booked through separately about change fees and conditions. Do not assume in advance that you can change rooms or cancel for free.

Even when you have evacuated because of an earthquake or similar, the shelter may have no air conditioning or it may be unusable after a power cut. If the heat makes you feel unwell, tell staff right away and ask for help so you can rest somewhere cool.

The Ministry of the Environment’s first-aid material also advises resting calmly and well after recovering. Call 119 if nausea or vomiting stops you drinking water or if the condition worsens.

While recovering, drop sightseeing that involves long walks and plans that mean waiting outdoors, and first decide with your companions where you can rest. Do not push yourself to travel while unwell just to catch a booked train or flight.

Once you are well enough to move, check separately whether the trains and buses from your accommodation to the station or airport are running, and whether your booked flight is operating. Transport may still be stopped even after you feel better. If you need to change a booking, ask the operator, airline or the company you booked through about how to change it and the cost. A heat alert does not mean every booking can be changed or cancelled for free.

Show the people around you 救急車を呼んでください。 — it means “Please call an ambulance.” Also tell them the name and location of the facility you are at. In an emergency, call 119 first instead of waiting for language assistance.

JNTO’s Japan Visitor Hotline helps foreign travellers in Japan who are struggling with illness or a disaster. It is available 24 hours a day, every day, in Korean, English and Chinese. Call 050-3816-2787 within Japan, or +81-50-3816-2787 from abroad. If you need an ambulance, call 119 first, not this number.

If it is not an emergency and you are looking for a hospital, choose the area and language in JNTO’s Korean-language medical facility search. Contact the hospital and ask about its consultation hours, whether it can explain things in the language you want, and whether you can be seen now. As a rule, JNTO does not interpret between patients and hospitals or make bookings for you. Receiving guidance in Korean does not guarantee interpreting, treatment or a booking.