Risks of sleeping in a car during evacuation after Kumamoto earthquake

On August 2, Kumamoto Prefecture confirmed the death of a woman in her 70s who had been sleeping in her car after evacuating due to an earthquake. The cause of death is suspected to be heatstroke.

About 9,450 people have been displaced by the Kumamoto earthquake. JAF's test showed that with the AC off, a car parked in the sun reaches 53°C inside after 90 minutes, and 39.4°C after just 10 minutes. Experts warn of heatstroke risk, especially for rear-seat passengers.

A 70-year-old woman in Japan died of suspected heatstroke after evacuating to her car following an earthquake. Temperatures in the area exceeded 38°C, and the inside of the vehicle was even hotter. The woman had been staying in the car for several days, afraid to return to her damaged home. Authorities urge evacuees to use designated shelters with air conditioning.

Nissan presented the updated NV200 Vanette MyRoom camper at the Tokyo Camper Show 2026. The model features a Japanese-style interior with wooden panels, a convertible second-row seat, and a portable battery based on Nissan Leaf technology. Standard equipment now includes lane departure warning and power-folding mirrors.

Japanese retailer 3COINS has started selling a clip fan with a timer priced at 3300 yen. The device features 100 airflow levels, 90-degree oscillation, an LED light, and a battery life of up to 12 hours. It can be attached to surfaces 1.8–3 cm thick, placed on a table, or hung from a hook. The product has been added to favorites over 3500 times on the official online store.

Professor Kazuhiko Hanazawa of Niigata University, who conducted health checks after the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu earthquake, has given advice on reducing the risk of economy class syndrome for people sleeping in cars. He recommends getting out of the car every 2–3 hours, massaging calves, and limiting sedan occupancy to two adults or three including children. He noted that during the Kumamoto earthquake 10 years ago many slept in cars, and now the heat may increase such evacuations, raising the risk of blood clots.