Survey on Intense Heat Conducted with Radio Program "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi": Peak Season for Heat Countermeasures Is June–July

Loyalty Marketing, Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Fumiaki Katsu; hereinafter "LM"), operator of the common points service "Ponta," reports results from its "Survey on Intense Heat," conducted from June 1 to June 3, 2026, targeting individuals aged 20 to 60. This survey was carried out jointly with TOKYO FM's program "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi" (broadcast every Sunday from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m.) under the title "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi with Ponta Research."

【Survey Results】

・TOPICS1

"Like summer": Approximately 30%. Proportion is lower among older women.

・TOPICS2

Awareness of heat begins primarily in May; implementation of heat countermeasures peaks in June–July.

・TOPICS3

"Frequent hydration" is the most common heat countermeasure, chosen by about 70%.

New or planned heat countermeasures for this year include accessories such as "parasols," "sunglasses," and "hats/arm covers."

・TOPICS4

Over 70% reduce outings due to heat.

Despite heat, preferred destinations include "sightseeing/travel" (about 30%) and "summer festivals/fireworks displays" (about 20%).

【Detailed Survey Results】

TOPICS1

"Like summer": Approximately 30%. Proportion is lower among older women.

When asked whether they like summer, 29.6% answered "like," 43.1% "dislike," and 27.3% "neither." "Dislike" was the most common response, exceeding 40%.

By age and gender, men in their 20s and 40s or older had over 30% indicating "like." Among women, those in their 20s had the highest proportion at 30.0%, decreasing with age to 19.0% among those aged 60 and above.

▼ Do you like summer? (n=1,000) (%)

▼ By age and gender: Do you like summer? (n=1,000; each age group n=100) (%)

TOPICS2

Awareness of heat begins primarily in May; implementation of heat countermeasures peaks in June–July.

When asked when they begin to become aware of heat, May ranked highest at 47.7%. Combined with March (1.3%) and April (6.6%), over half become aware of heat by May.

Regarding when people implement heat countermeasures, the peak is June at 56.6%, followed closely by July at 55.3%, then August (49.0%) and September (45.2%). Those taking measures in May were 40.7%, 15.9 percentage points lower than in June. The results suggest that while awareness of heat begins early, actual implementation of countermeasures peaks in June and July.

▼ When do you begin to become aware of heat? (n=1,000) (%)

▼ When do you implement heat countermeasures? (Multiple responses allowed) (n=1,000) (%)

TOPICS3

"Frequent hydration" is the most common heat countermeasure, chosen by about 70%.

New or planned heat countermeasures for this year include accessories such as "parasols," "sunglasses," and "hats/arm covers."

Regarding heat countermeasures implemented since last year, "frequent hydration" ranked highest at 69.0%, followed by "use of air conditioning" (60.0%) and "use of fans/circulators" (48.7%).

For countermeasures started or planned for this year, "frequent hydration" was highest at 17.7%. Between this and "use of air conditioning" at 12.4% (third place), "use of parasols" (12.7%), "wearing sunglasses" (11.8%), and "wearing hats/arm covers" (11.6%) ranked highly, indicating a trend toward protective clothing and accessories.

▼ Heat countermeasures currently implemented or planned (Multiple responses allowed) (n=1,000) (%)

TOPICS4

Over 70% reduce outings due to heat.

Despite heat, preferred destinations include "sightseeing/travel" (about 30%) and "summer festivals/fireworks displays" (about 20%).

Respondents were asked whether they refrain from going out or taking action due to heat. "Always refrain" accounted for 31.0% and "sometimes refrain" for 41.1%, totaling 72.1% who reduce outings due to heat. By age and gender, women across all age groups showed a higher tendency to refrain from going out than men. Particularly among women aged 30 and above, "always refrain" was around 40%, and combined with "sometimes refrain," reached nearly 80%, indicating significant impact of heat on mobility.

When asked where they would still like to go despite the heat, "sightseeing/travel" (29.9%) ranked highest, followed by "summer festivals/fireworks displays" (23.0%) and "beaches" (14.9%). By gender, "sightseeing/travel" ranked highest for both men and women. Despite women's tendency to refrain from going out due to heat, higher proportions of women than men expressed interest in "sightseeing/travel," "summer festivals/fireworks," "theme parks/amusement parks," and "visiting hometowns," indicating continued outing intentions even in hot weather.

▼ Do you refrain from going out or taking action due to heat? (n=1,000) (%)

▼ By age and gender: Do you refrain from going out or taking action due to heat? (n=1,000; each age group n=100) (%)

▼ Places you would still like to visit despite the heat (n=1,000) (%)

▼ By gender: Places you would still like to visit despite the heat (n=1,000; each gender n=500) (%)

【Comments from "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi" Radio Program Hosts】

<Mariko Mabuchi (Economic Analyst)>

While over 70% refrain from going out due to heat, about 30% still express interest in travel and outings—this suggests that extreme heat does not uniformly dampen consumption, but rather prompts selective behavior. This pattern is seen overseas as well; a study analyzing mobile phone data from 13 million people in Spain found that foot traffic in cities decreased by up to 10% on extremely hot days, and by 20% in the afternoon when temperatures peak. Extreme heat has become a global economic factor, and businesses that can offer experiences shifted to cooler nighttime hours hold real commercial opportunities.

※Renninger A, Cabrera C. Extreme heat reduces and reshapes urban mobility. PNAS Nexus. 2026;5(4):pgag078. Published 2026 Apr 14. doi:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag078

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13077673/

<Hiromitsu Watanabe (Consumer Economist Analyst)>

I was honestly surprised that only 29.6% "like" summer compared to 43.1% who "dislike" it. However, when broken down by age and gender, men in their 50s had the highest "like" response at 43.0%, which I find oddly relatable as I am also in my 50s.

What's interesting in this survey is how awareness of heat and summer varies significantly by age and gender. In particular, women show a decreasing tendency to say they "like" summer as they age, and also show a stronger tendency to avoid going out in hot weather. For businesses conducting marketing or product development, it will become increasingly important to tailor proposals based on these differing perceptions and behaviors, rather than treating "summer season" as a single market.

Additionally, while over 70% refrain from going out due to heat, interest in "travel" and "summer festivals/fireworks" remains high. This shows coexisting desires: to avoid heat, yet still enjoy unique summer experiences.

With extreme heat becoming the new normal, demand for heat-related products and services is expected to grow again this year. Beyond established items like parasols, cooling products, and energy-saving appliances, there is strong potential for new hits emerging from concepts like "enjoying while avoiding heat" or "beating the heat." While extreme heat itself is unwelcome, as a marketer, I am closely watching what new needs and trends may emerge in consumer behavior.

【Survey Overview】

Method

Online survey

Survey Period

June 1–3, 2026

Panel

Members of "Ponta Research"

(Individuals registered as Ponta members and also signed up for "Ponta Research")

Target

Residents of Japan aged 20–60

Valid Responses

1,000 respondents (100 per age group)

※Survey results are rounded to the nearest hundredth.

【Request for Credit Line When Quoting or Republishing】

When quoting or republishing survey results, please credit: "According to the 'Ponta Research' survey."

About the Joint Survey "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi with Ponta Research"

Since May 2023, LM has participated as a sponsor of TOKYO FM's "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi." The "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi with Ponta Research" initiative involves LM conducting surveys via "Ponta Research" on topics selected by hosts Mariko Mabuchi, economic analyst, and Hiromitsu Watanabe, consumer economist analyst, based on current news. Survey results are featured on the radio program and in columns on LM's marketing website.

About TOKYO FM's "Mabuchi-Watanabe's #Bisutopi"

Hosted by economic analyst Mariko Mabuchi and consumer economist analyst Hiromitsu Watanabe, the program explains the latest news from their respective perspectives in an accessible way. "Bisutopi" is short for "Business Topics." In just 60 minutes, listeners gain practical knowledge—from asset management and marketing terms to the latest hit products.

Broadcast time: Sundays 6:00–7:00 a.m.

Hosts: Hiromitsu Watanabe (Consumer Economist Analyst; weekly), Mariko Mabuchi (Economic Analyst; 1st, 2nd, 4th weeks), Natsuki Ishikawa (Caster; 3rd, 5th weeks)

Program website: https://www.tfm.co.jp/biztopi/

Podcast: https://www.tfm.co.jp/podcast/biztopi/

Program X: https://twitter.com/biztopi_tfm

Related URLs

Loyalty Marketing, Inc. Marketing Information Site: https://biz.loyalty.co.jp/

Public Reports (featuring original survey results): https://biz.loyalty.co.jp/report/

Public Data: https://biz.loyalty.co.jp/lp/publicdata/

Columns: https://biz.loyalty.co.jp/column/

※For media inquiries, please contact the Public Relations Department through the dedicated media inquiry channel.