I’m heading back to Japan temporarily this month, and my only worry is the extreme heat. When I went back at the same time last year, I thought it was unbearably hot, but this year I hear it’s at a disaster level. It’s frightening. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Japan recorded the hottest summer on record this year. I’ve heard that it is so hot that children can’t even play in parks.

Although I mentioned the case of Japan, the U.S. also has the same situation as well. We need more large trees that provide shade, not just in parks, but throughout cities. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the temperature in the shade can be as much as 25°F cooler than asphalt paving.

Maintaining shade trees in urban spaces isn’t easy, as there are spatial constraints and maintenance costs. Even so, as temperatures climb this high, the environmental burden reduced by shade—and more importantly, its contribution to people’s health—has become too significant to ignore.

Looking ahead, if I ever move, I’m seriously considering relocating to an area that has a botanical garden or a large green park.