Summer Sports: Be Careful of Heat, Lightning, Bears

Editorial

17:51 JST, May 18, 2026

People should stay alert for a number of things when enjoying sports during the coming season. In addition to the well-known dangers of intense heat and lightning strikes, bear encounters have become a cause for caution recently.

The heat was a problem at a marathon event held in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, on May 4. Eight runners were taken to the hospital with suspected heatstroke. The day’s highest temperature reached 29.5 C in Saitama City.

When engaging in exercise, the body generates a large amount of heat. Normally, the body regulates its own temperature through sweating and other mechanisms, but when it is too hot for this function to keep up, heat builds up in the body, increasing the risk of heatstroke.

People must be especially careful during this time of year, when temperatures rise suddenly. It is advisable to continue light, sweat-inducing activities such as running or training before the peak of summer arrives, to help the body adapt to the heat.

Last year, the Japan Sport Association revised its heatstroke prevention guidebook to include concrete methods for cooling the body. It states that cooling the palms with water, for example, before and after exercise and during breaks helps lower body temperature, as cold blood circulates throughout the body.

Many sports meets for junior high and high schools are held at this time of year. Organizers should figure out how to hold these events in a way that does not put the participants at risk, without being bound by past formats or schedules.

Caution is also necessary regarding lightning in the summer. In April two years ago, 18 high school students in Miyazaki City were taken to the hospital after lightning struck a soccer field during a training match. Lightning-related injuries are more frequent in July and August, and there have been cases in which school baseball club members have died after lightning struck during games.

Use smartphones to monitor weather updates. If there is thunder or other signs of lightening, immediately stop sporting activities and take shelter inside a building or a car. It is also essential to check evacuation sites in advance.

There have been a series of bear encounters across the country in recent years, with many cases involving attacks on people. This has become a threat to the hosting of sports events.

The international marathon held every June in Chitose, Hokkaido, was canceled this year due to a bear sighting near the course immediately after last year’s event. There have also been cases in which the schedule for women’s professional golf tournaments has been shortened.

It is important for event organizers to obtain information in advance from local governments and other sources regarding bear sightings around the venue. Measures such as using firecrackers, for example, to make loud noises to scare off bears before the event begins have already been implemented. These are worth considering.

In one case, a person was attacked by a bear that came out of the bushes while the person was running. To avoid unexpected encounters with bears, runners need to choose routes with good visibility.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 18, 2026)