Heat island phenomenon and Grandma's house...

Another Summer's heat down today in Osaka since one typhoon is now taking a course along the coast of pacific ocean in eastern Japan. When I did a jogging this morning, the temperature was around 25 degrees Celsius. It would've been much more comfortable if it had been less humid. 

I went out to Umeda, Osaka for my camera practice one day in a dreadful Summer heat. At a pedestrian road near JR Osaka Station, so many passers-by were crossing the road in Summer's heat showing their various facial expressions because of the weather. 

While waiting for the traffic lights to change, most of them were standing in the shades of buildings trying to avoid the Sun's strong light and heat. 

Once they stepped out of the shades, they blinked their eyes because of the strong Sun beam. 

In these days, many medias have been bringing up the subject of this Summer's dreadful heat with cautions and warnings.  However we need to note it that this is not only because of so-called global climate changes, but also because of our life style changes which may be a indirect cause of "Heat Island" phenomenon. Especially in urban cities, maybe 99% of the roads were paved with asphalt. And the concrete modern buildings are also the cause as well.

When I was a kid, the Summer weather was very harsh same as what we have now. However something is different from the old days. The cause mentioned above might be one of "Whys". And our capability and adaptability of physical and mental strength for Summer weather might be less than before because of indulgence from modern technologies and convenience. 

Sometimes I recall my grandma's old house which was an old wooden house. The wall inside was made of mixed-mud which was allegedly very ideal and appropriate to Japanese climate. In Summer, it absorbs the humidity also lowering the temperature in the shade inside. And in Winter, it keeps the warmth generated from the Sun light during day times. I used to scratch the mud wall unconsciously and get scolded by my grandma.

My ant renovated and modernized the house sometime later after my grandma passed away, and I felt that I lost something precious. The warmth that I used to feel inside the house was no longer existing and visited less and less. How many years have I not been visiting there?

Soon お盆(Obon)/Bon Festival is coming. Is it why I'm recalling my grandma somehow?

Masami