Japan is the country I know most about – in many areas more than DK
mostly because Tokyo is my wife’s birthplace
When it’s hot they turn on their aircon
which provides a comfortable temperature indoors
but the extra heat is pumped out of the house
thereby making the outside temperature (in the cities)
a few degrees higher
Tokyo is a 400+ year old capital for the 127 million Japanese
of which almost 33 million live in Tokyo (with suburbs)
as in the creation (to become capital) in 1602 was called Edo
The former capital was Kyoto
and from there all the fine and noble traditions were brought forth
e.g Traditional Japanese Dance, Traditional Tea Ceremony, origami,
Calligraphy, kimono dressing, Ikebana, etc.
My wife is one of the few who has the longest education in the world
the great 26-year-old Japanese Cultural Education
which includes all of these cultural programs
(only girls can be admitted – takes place right down from the age of three
in my wife’s case, however, from 10 to 36)
The education requires a total of about DKK 5 million. kr of dad’s purse
and it takes place after school – a 2-4 hours daily
every day – for 26 years
Requires a total of about 760,000 usd from father’s purse)
and it takes place after school time – 10 to 20 hours a week
Tomiko and her bigger sister started together
but after 16 years, sister became in love and would rather be married
* * *
Anyway – in 1602, one of the first was moved to Edo
was just these cultural schools
Edo (Tokyo) was rebooted
and there were not yet chopped stones for the coating of squares and places
Ergo it could well dust a lot
Then you are doing uchimizo
mizu means water – uzhi means throwing or blowing on a surface
At first it was to tie the dust
but after some time they discovered
that the places where you used uzhimizu
were pleasantly cooler than elsewhere
Uchimizu is performed especially on squares and places
when there is a heat wave
If the underground is tiles, asphalt, soil, grass or other is not important
just a lot of water is poured into the area
as well as many to sip around with the water
and that there is sunshine – then it will cool down
There is nothing high-tech or magical associated with uchimizu
it is just the use of existing laws of nature
To evaporate all that water – energy is required
There is plenty of that energy in the air
and therefore the air is cooled down
However, the effect ceases
at the same time as all the water is evaporated
then the temperature begins to rise again
However, there is a very nice and noticeable effect in usually 2-4 hours
* * *
And those who can afford to use Aircon and cool their own homes
do not make life easier for the others
use of aircon raises the outside temperature by 2 degrees
I tried it myself in 1997 when my Japanese father-in-law died 1997
For 3 days there were 42-43 dgr every day
but the 4th day “only” 39 degrees
a particularly noticeable change
The blue columns are rainfall
It is the red line that indicates the normal temperature
It is only in heat waves
that the temperature becomes “massive”