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Tag - air-conditioners

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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AIR CONDITIONERS

Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 21, 2026
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
The financial strain is affecting parents¡¯ mental health, with 44% of survey respondents saying they always or often feel extremely depressed when thinking about summer vacation.
Marine Le Pen speaks during a political rally of the French far-right National Rally political party on May 1. The National Rally has repeatedly voted against measures meant to slow climate change, but is pushing air conditioning with an eye toward next April¡¯s presidential election.
WORLD
Jul 2, 2026
France¡¯s far right pledges 40 million air conditioners as heat turns political
Across Europe air conditioning is a new battleground as officials grapple with how to adapt aging infrastructure to debilitating heat as the climate changes.
People shop for fans and air-conditioning units in Paris in May.
BUSINESS
Jun 25, 2026
As Europe roasts in a heat wave, Asia¡¯s air-con makers see robust business
Air conditioning is rare in Europe and people are struggling to stay cool as ?searing heat ?claims lives, disrupts power supplies and shuts schools.
A woman uses an umbrella to shield herself from the sun while walking on London's Oxford Street as Britain experienced record temperatures disrupting schools and transport networks on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jun 24, 2026
Europe wilts under record heat as air conditioner sales soar
France¡¯s national temperature indicator reached 29.8 C on Tuesday ¡ª the hottest since measurements began in 1947.
The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan has issued a warning over a rise in air conditioner repair scams.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 23, 2026
Consumer affairs watchdog raises alarm over air conditioner repair scams
The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan is urging people to be on alert for offers to repair broken air conditioners that sound too good to be true.
An experiment shows how stripping the insulation from an air conditioner cord and connecting the cord with another cable can lead to fire.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 4, 2026
Consumers warned of fire risks in areas around air conditioners ahead of summer
Safety experts have received many reports of air conditioner fires that were unrelated to product defects, and are flagging the risk before use increases through summer.
Tokyo¡¯s push for cooler office attire has sparked backlash in Japan, where conservative workplace norms still shape office culture and critics say shorts and sandals do not belong in the workplace.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 1, 2026
Tokyo wants you to wear shorts to work. Say no.
While the image of the suit-and-tie salaryman endures, in recent years summer office fashions have become much more casual.
A poster at a Bic Camera store in Tokyo¡¯s Yurakucho district on May 22 encourages customers to buy air conditioners before prices rise.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 1, 2026
Rush to buy air conditioners in Japan before pricier models hit next April
The new models are expected to be pricier to meet the updated energy standards set to kick in next April, with some manufacturers already phasing out their older models.
Naphtha shortages and a shrinking labor force mean those buying a new air conditioning unit may pay more than last year and then be forced to wait up to a month to have it installed.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / FOCUS
May 20, 2026
Installation delays and price hikes hit air conditioners just before summer
Fears of naphtha shortages and a smaller labor force mean those buying a new air conditioner may pay more than last year and then be forced to wait up to a month for installation.
The "Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion" at the Osaka Expo on Thursday. Fukuyama in Hiroshima Prefecture aims to relocate the pavilion to a site in the city after the event ends on Oct. 13.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Sep 16, 2025
Reuse pavilions and equipment, Osaka Expo organizer urges
The organizer is encouraging local governments and companies to reuse buildings and equipment including air conditioners and lighting.
Summers in Japan have grown hotter and hotter, and people have had to spend more money as a result.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 25, 2025
Tokyo household budgets further squeezed by heat wave
On average, monthly expenses are up more than $23 a month as a result of high temperatures.
A commuter uses a portable fan on an underground train at rush hour during a heat wave in the City of London financial district.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 21, 2025
As temperatures soar in London, regulations, not costs, put cooling beyond reach
The British capital has seen a surge in demand for air-conditioning units in high-end homes as climate change raises summer temperatures.
The rise in household consumption spending in Japan in June was driven by a 30.1% jump in spending to buy automobiles and motorcycles, and higher electricity bills.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2025
Japan¡¯s household spending rises 1.3% in June
The average spending by households with two or more members was ?295,419 ($2,000).
Women use parasols to shelter from the sun on a hot summer day in Berlin on July 2
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 27, 2025
Germans are finally embracing air conditioning, even renters
Most homes in Germany ¡ª and in northwest Europe ¡ª don¡¯t have AC and haven¡¯t really needed it until heat waves became more frequent in recent years.
Many areas across Japan experienced maximum temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius or higher on multiple days in June.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 24, 2025
Record number of people sent to hospital for heatstroke in June, data shows
Of those hospitalized, 10,342 were age 65 or over, accounting for about 60% of the total.
Pedestrians at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing in Tokyo on Tuesday. The weekly number of people taken to hospital with heatstroke has exceeded 10,000 for the first time this year as summer temperatures soar.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 9, 2025
Over 10,000 people sent to hospital last week due to heatstroke
Last week¡¯s number is more than double of that a week earlier.
The National Police Agency has drafted stricter identification rules for secondhand metal dealers in order to prevent the resale of stolen goods.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 26, 2025
NPA to toughen ID rules for metal dealers amid surge in stolen AC units
The National Police Agency drafted amendments that would require metal dealers to verify sellers¡¯ identities and keep transaction records for three years.
India's air conditioner market is set to grow from the current 14 million units to 30 million units in terms of volume by 2030, driven by hotter summers and rising disposable incomes.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 13, 2025
Indians buy 14 million air conditioners a year, and need many more
A record 14 million AC units were sold in India last year, with a ninefold increase in residential ownership forecast by midcentury.
A staff member holds a barocaloric material used by Barocal in their solid state cooling technology, at their headquarters in Cambridge.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 13, 2025
U.K. lab promises air conditioner revolution without polluting gases
Approximately 2 billion air-conditioner units are in use worldwide, and their number is increasing as the planet warms.
Supervisor David Lindsay in the chilling plant beneath the headquarters of the United Nations in New York
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 13, 2025
As world heats up, U.N. cools itself the cool way ¡ª with water
As more and more people want to stay cool in a planet that is steadily heating up, energy experts point to this kind of water-based system as a good alternative.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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