Kokushobi: Japan’s New Word for Extreme Heat
Climate change is now influencing language itself, giving rise to new vocabulary. In Japan, the Meteorological Agency (JMA) has officially introduced a new term: “kokushobi”, which literally means “cruelly hot day.” The word will be used to describe or forecast days when temperatures reach 40ºC or higher.The JMA created this neologism after conducting an online poll, prompted by the extreme heat Japan has faced in recent years. Out of 478,000 responses, nearly 203,000 people voted for “kokushobi” as their preferred term.
Japan has experienced record-breaking heat over the past decade. Since 2018, there have been days each year with temperatures above 40ºC. In August 2025, Isesaki in Gunma Prefecture recorded Japan’s highest temperature ever at 41.8ºC, with nine additional days above 40ºC. That year was also the hottest since records began in 1898, with average temperatures 2.36ºC higher than normal.
The Mainichi newspaper reported striking figures: Tokyo had 25 days over 35ºC compared to an annual average of 4.5, while Kyoto logged 52 such days compared to its usual 18.5. These statistics highlight how climate change is reshaping not only weather patterns but also the words we use to describe them.
氣候變遷如今甚至影響到語言，催生出新的詞彙。日本氣象廳（JMA）正式引入了一個新詞：「酷暑日（kokushobi）」，字面意思是「殘酷炎熱的日子」。這個詞將用來描述或預報氣溫達到 40℃ 以上的日子。
JMA 在經歷近年來的酷熱天氣後，舉辦了一場線上投票來徵求新詞。共有 47.8 萬人參與，其中近 20.3 萬人選擇了「酷暑日」作為最合適的用語。
在過去十年，日本屢次出現破紀錄的高溫。自 2018 年以來，每年都有氣溫超過 40℃ 的日子。2025 年 8 月，群馬縣伊勢崎市創下日本史上最高氣溫 41.8℃，當年還有另外 9 天氣溫超過 40℃。2025 年也成為自 1898 年有紀錄以來最炎熱的一年，平均氣溫比常年高出 2.36℃。
《每日新聞》報導的數據更顯驚人：東京有 25 天氣溫超過 35℃，而往年平均僅 4.5 天；京都則有 52 天超過 35℃，相比平均的 18.5 天大幅增加。這些數字顯示，氣候變遷不僅改變了天氣模式，也改變了我們用來描述它的語言。
🔑 關鍵字 (Keywords)
- Climate change → 氣候變遷
- Neologism → 新詞／新造詞
- Kokushobi (酷暑日) → 殘酷炎熱日／酷熱日（40℃以上）
- Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) → 日本氣象廳
- Poll / Questionnaire → 投票／問卷調查
- Record-breaking heat → 破紀錄高溫
- Mercury rose → 氣溫上升
- Average temperature → 平均氣溫
🎧 發音 (IPA)
- Climate change → /ˈklaɪ.mət tʃeɪndʒ/
- Neologism → /niˈɑː.ləˌdʒɪzəm/
- Kokushobi → /koː.ku.ʃoː.bi/ (日語近似音)
- Meteorological → /ˌmiː.ti.ə.rəˈlɑː.dʒɪ.kəl/
- Poll → /poʊl/
- Record-breaking → /ˈrek.ərd ˌbreɪ.kɪŋ/
- Mercury → /ˈmɜː.kjʊ.ri/ (UK), /ˈmɝː.kjə.ri/ (US)
- Average → /ˈæv.ər.ɪdʒ/
