Study Finds 213 Deaths In Tokyo Caused By Improper Aircon Use

A study has identified 213 deaths in Tokyo’s 23 wards linked to improper use of air conditioners, with around 80% involving elderly individuals or people living alone, Ryo Endo reported for Mainichi Japan.

Many deaths were attributed to air conditioners being left off, misconfigured to "heating" mode instead of "cooling," or disabled due to dead remote control batteries.

The findings come from joint research by the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine and the Tokyo Metropolitan Medical Examiner’s Office.

The study analyzed 1,447 suspected heat-related deaths from January 2013 to September 2023.

Many deaths were attributed to air conditioners being left off, misconfigured to "heating" mode instead of "cooling," or disabled due to dead remote control batteries.

The deaths were heavily concentrated between June and August, with notable spikes in recent years. While there were about 30 to 35 such deaths in 2016 and 2017, the number rose sharply to 250 in 2020 and 258 in 2022.

“The figures reflect the recent rise in temperatures, and the number of deaths has remained high,” a researcher said.

In more than 40% of the 1,295 indoor deaths—excluding those that occurred in saunas or during work—air conditioners had been turned off. Some cases were also linked to mechanical failures or incorrect settings, such as dust-clogged filters that hindered airflow.