Tokyo turns innovation into extreme-weather resilience
As extreme heat, heavy rain and other climate-related hazards become more common, Tokyo is exploring practical ways to strengthen urban resilience and protect its more than 14 million residents, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Jiji Press.
The Japanese capital is using technology, green infrastructure and innovative materials to make disaster preparedness part of everyday life.
Preparing for extreme weather in daily life
Tokyo-based startup Sakigake Japan is developing solutions that can serve a purpose in normal times while becoming vital during emergencies.
One of its tools is an AI- and cloud-based platform that visualizes weather and flood risks. The system can estimate inundation risks in specific areas, helping support earlier precautions and better planning before sudden, localized downpours overwhelm infrastructure.
Extreme heat presents another challenge, particularly if a major disaster causes power outages and air conditioning becomes unavailable. Mobile cold-chain systems offer one possible solution. Portable refrigeration units normally used for events and logistics can be deployed during emergencies to store food, beverages and medicine. They can also operate without external power, allowing more localized support when utilities and transport networks are disrupted.
Rain gardens bring resilience to neighborhoods
In Tokyo’s Setagaya district, Setagaya Trust & Community Design is promoting green infrastructure through initiatives including household rain gardens.
Rain gardens collect water from roofs and paved surfaces, temporarily store it and allow it to gradually soak into the ground. They can help reduce flooding and the urban heat island effect, while rainwater stored in tanks can be used for watering gardens or during emergencies.
The initiative encourages households to build their own rain gardens using readily available materials and a variety of plants that can also provide habitats for local wildlife. The approach aims to demonstrate how small, community-level efforts can complement large-scale government infrastructure and help strengthen disaster resilience.
Cooling clothes help tackle extreme heat
USA-based startup Eztia Materials is also tackling extreme heat through its cooling material, HydraVolt, which was selected as a finalist in the pitch contest at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Asia’s largest global innovation conference.
The material can be printed on or sewn into clothing and uses evaporative cooling to lower skin temperature by up to 10°C for up to eight hours without electricity or batteries. It can be recharged with water and washed like regular clothing.
The technology has been tested in cooling headwear for elementary school children, shirts and headbands for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters professional baseball team, and arm covers for drivers at Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd.
Against this backdrop, Tokyo’s initiatives illustrate how the city is seeking to integrate climate and disaster resilience into everyday life, from household rain gardens and cooling clothing to emergency equipment and digital flood-risk assessment.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a Japanese industrial equipment supplier began selling a walk-in cooling booth designed to help workers cool down quickly during periods of extreme heat, as businesses face growing pressure to prevent heat-related illnesses.