TATEBAYASHI, Gunma -- Starting in the 2025 school year, summer break will be extended by four days at all 38 public elementary and junior high schools across six municipalities in east Japan's Gunma Prefecture as a measure against heatstroke.

In the prefectural city of Tatebayashi, the maximum temperature rose to 40.2 degrees Celsius in July, the highest ever recorded there that month. There were 37 "extremely hot days" when the mercury hit 35 C or above in the city during the three-month period from July to September this year.

In response to the oppressive heat, the education boards of Tatebayashi and five towns in the neighboring Ora district -- Itakura, Chiyoda, Meiwa, Oizumi and Ora -- have decided to extend the summer vacation, citing the increased risk of heatstroke on the way to and from school and in physical education classes. The current summer break from July 21 to Aug. 27 will be extended by four days until Aug. 31.

The winter and spring break periods will remain unchanged, but the number of class hours will be adjusted so that there will not be a shortage. An official from the Tatebayashi Municipal Board of Education's school education division said, "We will continue to give top priority to the health and safety of the children after the change."

(Japanese original by Seiichi Yuasa, Ota Local Bureau)