Heatstroke and Japanese Mentality

It is very hot in summer in Japan. Temperatures are sometimes even higher than our body temperatures. Terrible humidity makes the heat more unbearable.

日本の夏はとても暑いです。気温が体温よりも高くなることもあります。湿度が高いので気温がよけいに耐え難く感じられます。


It was abnormally hot yesterday. Temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius in many places. The Meteorological Agency issued a severe heat alert. However, three people had died and fourteen people were in serious condition due to heatstroke. In addition, more than 700 people were treated in hospitals.

昨日は異常な暑さでした。各地で気温は35度を超しました。気象庁は熱中症警報を発令しましたが、それでも熱中症で3名が亡くなり、14名が重症だったそうです。他にも700人以上の人が病院で治療を受けました。


It is said that infants and elderly people are prone to heat stroke. However, everyone can be affected by it.

幼児とお年寄りが熱中症になりやすいと言われていますが、でも誰がなってもおかしくありません。


Every year I hear that some elementary school pupils, junior high school students or senior high school students have collapsed or been brought to hospitals due to heatstroke during sports club activities. This amazes me and I wonder why they are that serious about their club activities even on abnormally hot days. I guess it would probably be more appropriate to say that their supervisors are very serious. I think it isn’t difficult for adults to guess that playing sport under direct sunshine for a long time can be risky. As for the children involved, on the other hand, I assume that they would feel too guilty to take leaves from club activities “just because” it is very hot, especially when they belong to clubs in which they play in teams.

毎年、小学生、中学生、高校生が運動系のクラブ活動の最中に熱中症で病院に運ばれたと聞きます。これにはびっくりして、なんで異常に暑い日までそんなにまじめにクラブをやるんだろうと思ってしまいます。まぁ、むしろ、子どもたちの監督がとてもまじめと言った方があたっていると思います。直射日光のもとで長時間スポーツをするのは危険かもしれないということは大人だったら、容易に想像ができそうだと思います。一方、子どもの方からすれば、暑いというだけの理由でクラブを休むのは、特にそれがチームでプレーをするスポーツの場合、後ろめたさがつきまとって、なかなかできないと思います。


I personally think that both the coaches and the children’s parents are responsible to decide whether or not to let children play sports. But again, I have to say there is a kind of peer pressure among parents (usually mothers, as fathers in general are busy at work and not much involved in their children’s issues). Even if they are afraid of heat waves, it isn’t easy for them to bring something up like "Let's not have club activities today" or "Let's make the time shorter" which some other mothers may feel as if children were encouraged to be lazy or as if the team might become weaker. Working hard is supposed to be always a correct thing to do!

個人的には、子どもたちにスポーツをやらせるかどうか決めるのはコーチと親の責任だと思います。でも、親同士の関係でも、親の仲間からのプレッシャーがあります。（親といっても、たいていは母親です。お父さんたちは仕事で忙しくて子どものことにあまりかかわることをしません）熱波のことを心配していても「きょうはクラブをやめましょう。」や「活動を短くしましょう。」のような、こどもたちに怠けることをすすめているとか、チームが弱くなるかもしれないと感じる人がいるかもしれないようなことの言い出しっぺになるのは容易ではありません。「一所懸命」はいつも正しいことなのですから。


Five junior high school students collapsed while playing baseball yesterday. A few days ago, a boy in a baseball club collapsed while playing the sport and died. This is my personal view but I feel these incidents are reflecting Japanese mentality and one of social aspects.

昨日は5人の中学生が野球をしていて倒れました。2、3日前は野球部員が野球をやっている時倒れて亡くなりました。これは私の個人的な見方ですが、こういう出来事にも日本人のメンタリティと社会のある側面が映し出されていると感じます。