This article analyzes the heat stroke emergency transport situation for June 2025 published by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency in July 2025.
As the average temperature in June 2025 became the highest for June since the Japan Meteorological Agency began statistics in 1898, resulting in extremely severe heat, heat stroke emergency transports nationwide reached 17,229 people, recording the highest transport numbers since June surveys began in 2010. By age group, elderly people (65 years and older) were the most numerous at 10,342 people (60.0%), followed by adults at 5,246 people (30.4%), youth at 1,534 people (8.9%), and infants at 105 people (0.6%).
By initial medical examination severity, mild cases (outpatient treatment) were most numerous at 10,750 people (62.4%), moderate cases (inpatient treatment) at 6,006 people (34.9%), and severe cases (long-term hospitalization) at 384 people (2.2%), with moderate and severe patients requiring hospitalization accounting for about 40%. By location of occurrence, residences were most numerous at 6,819 people (39.6%), followed by roads at 3,404 people (19.8%), public areas (outdoors) at 2,012 people (11.7%), and workplaces at 1,545 people (9.0%), revealing that onset occurs not only during outdoor activities but also frequently in residences.
Particularly in 2025, transport numbers reached 2.4 times compared to 7,275 people the previous year, with life-threatening dangerous heat from mid-June onward having a major impact. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency now positions the intense heat that causes heat stroke as a "disaster," calling for thorough basic heat stroke prevention measures including frequent water intake before feeling thirsty, measuring indoor temperature and humidity and appropriate use of air conditioning and fans, frequent breaks during outdoor work, and refraining from going out when heat stroke warning alerts are issued.
The article shows the importance of thorough preventive measures regardless of indoor/outdoor or day/night, given that heat stroke emergency transports in June 2025 reached a record high.