The Japan Local Character Association (Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, Representative Director: Fukusaku Arakawa) has decided to participate in the climate change action campaign "End the Scorching Summer WEEK" (Organizer: JAPAN 8・8 PROJECT Executive Committee), which will be held from Saturday, August 1 to Sunday, August 9, 2026. As extreme heat threatens the safety of local characters and regional activities, this campaign aims to raise widespread social awareness of the climate crisis and the importance of sustainable event operations.

Climate Change for "Local Characters" - Why We Are Taking Action

Recent global warming is having a serious impact on the activities of local characters who energize communities. Especially during the summer, extreme heat forces a reduction in activity times, creating significant risks to the health and safety of characters and operational staff.

Our association is participating in this project for the following three main reasons: We want to use local characters to communicate about climate change as a personal issue, thereby raising awareness and providing an opportunity to deepen understanding of safety during activities in harsh environments.

Building a "Safe Operational System" Integrated with Fans and the Local Community

Reducing summer activities and implementing heatstroke countermeasures are not only about protecting characters and staff, but also about ensuring the safety of fans and local residents who attend events. By widely communicating and establishing the stance of "not forcing or allowing unreasonable efforts in harsh environments" through this WEEK, we can encourage understanding from others and collectively create a standard for sustainable and safer event operations.

A Unique Climate Change Approach That Resonates Because They Are "Representatives of Their Regions"

Local characters are born to represent their respective regions. When these characters speak out about the crisis caused by climate change, they have the power to convey abstract environmental issues as "local crises" to residents in a tangible way. By using characters, we can lower the psychological barrier and deliver messages to those who are not usually interested in environmental issues.

Maximizing Communication Power Through "Horizontal Connections" Beyond Character Roles

By gathering local characters from across the country under the common banner of this WEEK, we can create a significant social impact that cannot be achieved by individual municipalities or organizations alone. Participation in "End the Scorching Summer WEEK" across industries and regions is an excellent opportunity to present the new value and potential of local characters to society, bringing significant benefits in terms of expanded media exposure and reaching new fan bases. In 2026, in conjunction with the World Local Character Grand Prix, in which our association's representative director is on the executive committee, the "End the Scorching Summer Award" ceremony will be held at an event in Shibuya on August 7th as part of this WEEK.

What is "End the Scorching Summer WEEK"?

Climate change is no longer a distant event; it is beginning to threaten the lives of those living in Japan. However, there is still a significant gap between the physical sensation of "heat" and the understanding of "climate change."

To create an opportunity to re-examine climate change as a personal issue during this period, the Japan Climate Leaders' Partnership (JCLP) registered August 8th as "End the Scorching Summer Day" with the Japan Anniversary Association in 2025. Centered around this anniversary, the JAPAN 8・8 PROJECT Executive Committee has designated August 1st to 9th as "End the Scorching Summer WEEK." During this period, various programs will be implemented to encourage people to re-examine climate change as a personal issue, aiming to gather voices amidst this heat and turn them into a force for social change.

Official Website: https://www.japan88.jp/

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Event参画