"Summer is Already Here": The New Dining Table During the Rainy Season

With maximum summer temperatures frequently exceeding 40°C, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced last month that it is soliciting new names for days with temperatures of 40°C or higher. Furthermore, the number of emergency transportations due to heatstroke exceeded 100,000 in 2025, the highest since records began in 2008, suggesting it will take more time for us to adapt to these "long, hot summers."

According to the three-month forecast from April to June released by the Japan Meteorological Agency, average temperatures for each month are expected to exceed normal levels. With the possibility of midsummer days occurring as early as May, preparations for the heat are required earlier than ever this year.

An Earlier and Never-Ending Summer

[Figure 1] shows the trends in the appearance rate of ice cream and frozen desserts on the dining table (TI value: number of appearances per 1,000 meals) alongside maximum temperatures. Comparing the most recent three years (2023–25) with a decade ago (2013–15), we can see that temperatures have risen from June through September, and the increase in ice cream consumption has shifted from July to June, remaining at a high level through September.

On the other hand, there is no significant change in the peak value in early August. In other words, the demand for ice cream has not seen a higher peak, but rather the season has extended by about six weeks, both before and after the traditional peak.

In this report, we focus on this "already summer" portion of June during the prolonged summer season and introduce new dining trends for the rainy season. Beyond ice cream and cooling treats, are there other changes to the dining table?

[Figure 1] Trends in Ice Cream/Frozen Dessert Appearance Rate (TI Value) and Maximum Temperature

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"Already Summer": Refreshing and Quick

When comparing data with that of a decade ago, it is necessary to consider changes in living environments, such as prices. Therefore, to grasp the seasonal characteristics of June more clearly, we calculated the seasonal variation. Seasonal variation is the difference (deviation) between the reference period (in this case, the average of May–July) and the target period (June). By comparing this deviation with the past, we can observe changes in the relative positioning of June compared to the May–July average, allowing us to focus on characteristic menu changes in June while minimizing the impact of recent events like the rice shortage.

[Figure 2] shows the top 10 menus that increased and decreased in the June seasonal variation of TI values compared to 10 years ago. For breakfast, there is a shift from rice to bread, an increase in fruit juices and fruits, and an increase in mineral water, perhaps for morning hydration. For lunch, Japanese-style noodles such as somen and cold soba/udon are popular. For dinner, cooling dishes like cold Japanese noodles, cold shabu-shabu, and vinegared dishes (sunomono) are on the rise. Convenient menus like pasta and rice bowls, as well as stamina-boosting dishes like gyoza, have also increased. It seems the June dining table has largely shifted to "summer mode," with refreshing and convenient meals appearing earlier than before.

[Figure 2] June TI Value Seasonal Variation: 10-Year Comparison (Ranking of Increases and Decreases)

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