Latest news with #TakahiroOyama
Japan Today
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Japan Today
Global warming may stop summer school sports in Japan from 2060s
Outdoor school sporting activity may need to be avoided between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August by the 2060s. Without serious efforts to tackle global warming, students in the 2060s or later may no longer be able to engage in extracurricular outdoor sports in summer in most parts of Japan, according to predictions by a research team. In the most pessimistic global warming scenario, the team's heat stress projections showed all or intense outdoor sporting activity would need to be avoided for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August in areas apart from the northern main island of Hokkaido. In Japan, extracurricular activities normally take place in the late afternoon, though the situation may differ during the summer vacation period. The team from the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Waseda University in Tokyo created a projection model based on weather data including temperature and humidity as well as a measure of heat stress called the wet-bulb globe temperature, which takes into account factors such as wind and solar radiation, in 842 cities in Japan over a 12-year period. It predicted hourly WBGT heat stress figures in 11 areas across the nation from the 2060s and 2080s, according to scenarios such as when greenhouse gas emissions are drastically cut as well as when emissions are not reduced because of a high dependence on fossil fuels. In the most pessimistic of cases of global warming, the projected reading was 31 or more, meaning outside sporting activity should be avoided in principle under the country's guidelines, in four regions, covering Shikoku, northern and southern Kyushu, and Okinawa, for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August. A heat stress index at or above 31 roughly corresponds to 35 C or higher in air temperature. Six areas, from Tohoku to Chugoku, had readings between 28 and 31, meaning intense sporting activity should be avoided. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., none of the regions had figures of 31 or above, but the projections showed intense sports should be avoided in the same hours in August in all regions apart from Hokkaido. Takahiro Oyama, researcher at the institute's Center for Climate Change Adaptation, said the results were indicative of how people's daily lives will change as global warming progresses. "We need to start thinking about how future club activities should be." The annual Koshien national high school baseball tournament has already adopted a two-session system to reduce the negative impact of the summer heat, dividing some of the schedule into morning and late afternoon games. If the warming of the planet continues, it could affect more than just school sports, leading to time and venue changes, experts said. © KYODO
Kyodo News
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Kyodo News
Global warming may stop summertime school sports in Japan from 2060s
KYODO NEWS - 9 hours ago - 11:06 | Japan, All Without serious efforts to tackle global warming, students in the 2060s or later may no longer be able to engage in extracurricular outdoor sports in summer in most parts of Japan, according to predictions by a research team. In the most pessimistic global warming scenario, the team's heat stress projections showed all or intense outdoor sporting activity would need to be avoided for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August in areas apart from the northern main island of Hokkaido. In Japan, extracurricular activities normally take place in the late afternoon, though the situation may differ during the summer vacation period. The team from the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Waseda University in Tokyo created a projection model based on weather data including temperature and humidity as well as a measure of heat stress called the wet-bulb globe temperature, which takes into account factors such as wind and solar radiation, in 842 cities in Japan over a 12-year period. It predicted hourly WBGT heat stress figures in 11 areas across the nation from the 2060s and 2080s, according to scenarios such as when greenhouse gas emissions are drastically cut as well as when emissions are not reduced because of a high dependence on fossil fuels. In the most pessimistic of cases of global warming, the projected reading was 31 or more, meaning outside sporting activity should be avoided in principle under the country's guidelines, in four regions, covering Shikoku, northern and southern Kyushu, and Okinawa, for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August. A heat stress index at or above 31 roughly corresponds to 35 C or higher in air temperature. Six areas, from Tohoku to Chugoku, had readings between 28 and 31, meaning intense sporting activity should be avoided. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., none of the regions had figures of 31 or above, but the projections showed intense sports should be avoided in the same hours in August in all regions apart from Hokkaido. Takahiro Oyama, researcher at the institute's Center for Climate Change Adaptation, said the results were indicative of how people's daily lives will change as global warming progresses. "We need to start thinking about how future club activities should be." The annual Koshien national high school baseball tournament has already adopted a two-session system to reduce the negative impact of the summer heat, dividing some of the schedule into morning and late afternoon games. If the warming of the planet continues, it could affect more than just school sports, leading to time and venue changes, experts said. Related coverage: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year
Kyodo News
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Kyodo News
Global warming may stop summertime school sports in Japan from 2060s
KYODO NEWS - 23 minutes ago - 11:06 | Japan, All Without serious efforts to tackle global warming, students in the 2060s or later may no longer be able to engage in extracurricular outdoor sports in summer in most parts of Japan, according to predictions by a research team. In the most pessimistic global warming scenario, the team's heat stress projections showed all or intense outdoor sporting activity would need to be avoided for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August in areas apart from the northern main island of Hokkaido. In Japan, extracurricular activities normally take place in the late afternoon, though the situation may differ during the summer vacation period. The team from the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Waseda University in Tokyo created a projection model based on weather data including temperature and humidity as well as a measure of heat stress called the wet-bulb globe temperature, which takes into account factors such as wind and solar radiation, in 842 cities in Japan over a 12-year period. It predicted hourly WBGT heat stress figures in 11 areas across the nation from the 2060s and 2080s, according to scenarios such as when greenhouse gas emissions are drastically cut as well as when emissions are not reduced because of a high dependence on fossil fuels. In the most pessimistic of cases of global warming, the projected reading was 31 or more, meaning outside sporting activity should be avoided in principle under the country's guidelines, in four regions, covering Shikoku, northern and southern Kyushu, and Okinawa, for some time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in July and August. A heat stress index at or above 31 roughly corresponds to 35 C or higher in air temperature. Six areas, from Tohoku to Chugoku, had readings between 28 and 31, meaning intense sporting activity should be avoided. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., none of the regions had figures of 31 or above, but the projections showed intense sports should be avoided in the same hours in August in all regions apart from Hokkaido. Takahiro Oyama, researcher at the institute's Center for Climate Change Adaptation, said the results were indicative of how people's daily lives will change as global warming progresses. "We need to start thinking about how future club activities should be." The annual Koshien national high school baseball tournament has already adopted a two-session system to reduce the negative impact of the summer heat, dividing some of the schedule into morning and late afternoon games. If the warming of the planet continues, it could affect more than just school sports, leading to time and venue changes, experts said. Related coverage: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year
Asahi Shimbun
25-04-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
More Japanese men choosing hair removal to look their best
Signaling a notable shift in traditional grooming norms, hair removal is rapidly growing in popularity among Japanese men. The trend is reflected in recent market data, which shows that the industry has nearly doubled in size over the past five years. According to the Hot Pepper Beauty Academy, a research institute operated by Recruit Holdings Co., a major staffing and human resources services provider, the hair removal market in 2024 is estimated at approximately 63.5 billion yen ($436 million). This marks a near doubling from 37.7 billion yen in 2019, before the pandemic. Although the market dipped by 8 percent on year in 2020, it has grown steadily each year since 2021. Notably, while the female segment has shown signs of contraction, demand among men continues to rise. Although the surge gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, the motivations behind men's increasing interest in hair removal are varied and nuanced. A 2021 survey by Men's TBC (Tokyo), a leading men's beauty and grooming salon chain, polled approximately 20,000 customers on their reasons for seeking hair removal. Among the top responses: 28.2 percent said shaving was a hassle, while 13.4 percent pointed to the persistent blue shadow that remains after shaving. Takahiro Oyama, spokesperson for the TBC Group, noted, 'Many clients said that wearing masks made them more aware of their facial hair, prompting them to visit.' While mask-wearing certainly contributed to the trend, the continued rise of male hair removal even after COVID-19 was reclassified as a Category V infectious disease raises a deeper question: what's driving its lasting appeal? According to Oyama, a key factor is the growing interest among men in personal grooming and aesthetics. 'More men, especially younger generations, are choosing to invest in themselves,' he explains. 'What was once a relatively uncommon practice is now gaining broader acceptance across society.' Last year, a sociology seminar team at Ritsumeikan University investigated the rise of the male hair removal trend. The project was initiated by team member Sawa Yonekura, who had started visiting a women's hair removal salon a few years earlier. However, shortly after paying the contract fee, the business went bankrupt, prompting her to question why she had believed that 'hair removal was essential to be beautiful.' The team surveyed 107 men and women in their teens to 30s through street interviews and social media. More than half had undergone hair removal, with men accounting for 30 percent of that group. Tomoyuki Abe, who collaborated with Yonekura on the survey, said he had also considered visiting a men's hair removal salon. His turning point came during online university classes: seeing his face repeatedly on screen during the pandemic made him increasingly self-conscious. Even now, taking selfies is part of his daily routine. He and his friends use BeReal, a filter-free social media app, which prompts users once a day to share an unedited, real-time photo with their network. Its emphasis on authenticity, Abe said, made him want to 'look clean and fresh.' Reflecting this rising interest, hair removal advertisements now appear frequently across social media platforms. In the survey of 107 participants, 101 said that seeing an ad was what initially sparked their curiosity. Kimio Ito, professor emeritus at Kyoto University and an expert in gender studies, commented on the growing self-awareness among younger generations. 'More men are shifting their focus from how society sees them to the kind of person they want to become,' Ito said. 'They're beginning to break free from the traditional ideal of the 'macho man.' Beyond hair removal, we can expect increasingly diverse ways for individuals to shape and express themselves.'
