8:00 JST, October 10, 2026

As global warming worsens, the environment for children’s sports during the summer is undergoing significant changes. The summer vacation period of July and August is packed with nationwide elementary, junior high and high school sports tournaments, but competing under the blazing sun — in temperatures sometimes reaching around 40 C or higher — is simply too dangerous. Various reforms were implemented at this summer’s sporting events.

This year’s Inter High School Sports Athletic Meeting was held from July 22 to Aug. 21, primarily in the six prefectures of the Kinki region, including Osaka and Kyoto. The All Japan High School Athletic Federation, the event’s organizer, installed mist fans and air conditioning at venues, focusing primarily on outdoor events. For indoor events as well, air conditioning was installed not only in competition venues but also in practice facilities and waiting rooms.

The track and field events, held in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, saw the most significant changes. Organizers abandoned daytime competition and took the unprecedented step of holding events at night, starting after 5 p.m. The schedule, traditionally held over five days, was extended to seven days, with events taking place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Additionally, it was decided that no competitions — or even warm-ups — would take place unless the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a heat index that also takes into account such factors as humidity, fell below 31.

The catalyst for the track and field organizers’ decision to adopt this unprecedented approach was the 2023 tournament held in Hokkaido. Despite being held in Japan’s northernmost region — typically a cool area — the event was hit by a severe heatwave. Athletes........

© The Japan News