Climate change impacts
For the 10-year period 1958 to 1967, the average number of days with a maximum temperature of ≥ 35°C (mosho-bi) in Saitama Prefecture was 3.5, but the average for the 10-year period 2009 to 2018 was 22.1 days, an increase of approximately 6.3 times. The number of people hospitalized for heat stroke in Saitama Prefecture is relatively high for the country as a whole. According to 2018 figures published by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 6,125 people were hospitalized, the fourth highest number nationwide. Of the adults affected 70% were male (according to Saitama Prefectural records).
Adaptation activity
Since FY 2017, the Saitama Prefectural government has been working with municipal authorities, the private sector and others, to promote the use of parasols. During the three-year period from FY 2017 to FY 2019, the focus was particularly on men, who may not be used to using parasols on a regular basis.
Different projects have been used to raise awareness of the issue, such as free-of-charge parasol trials, the "Parasols for Men Promotion Club" in which male prefectural and municipal employees make a conscious effort to commute and go about their daily lives using parasols (Fig. 1), and also working with businesses to promote the use of parasols.
In FY 2008, as a new initiative, an official Twitter page was created, for a limited time, to promote the use of parasols. A parasol monitoring project was also created in which the effectiveness of parasols was assessed by male employees of Saitama prefecture and municipal employees, using parasols provided free-of-charge by participating manufacturers.
In FY2019, Saitama Prefecture worked with businesses on a joint project of unisex folding umbrellas, for both rain and sun, and with local department stores and mass retailers on the "Give a Parasol for Father's Day" campaign (Fig. 2), parasols for men were also proposed in conjunction with the “Cool biz” program and kimono and yukata fashion coordination. The number of towns and cities in the prefecture joining the project has increased, as have the number of male employees voluntarily participating in the Parasols for Men Promotion Club and the monitoring project.
Outputs / Expected benefits
Parasols provide protection from direct sunlight and help maintain lower body temperatures. The temperature of the head can be reduced by 4 to 9℃, and heat stress (perspiration) by about 20% in combination with the “Cool Biz” program (see Notes 1 & 2).
It is expected that the national government and local authorities will also help to normalize the regular use of parasols regardless of age or gender, as awareness of the problems of heat-related illness increases.
