Japan’s sumo chiefs trim tour dates, demand air con to beat summer heat

Sumo chiefs are planning measures to beat Japan’s increasingly punishing summer heat, including avoiding venues that do not have air conditioning and lightening the load on weary wrestlers.Japan sweltered through its hottest summer on record last year and parts of the country have hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent days.Hakata ward in the southwestern city of Fukuoka on Wednesday saw the temperature hit 40.4 degrees, caused by hot, moist air from a typhoon flowing into the surrounding region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.