During the second global air quality study conducted by Daikin Industries, Tokyo recorded the longest daily use of air conditioners among 12 cities. The company surveyed 1,200 air conditioner owners (100 respondents in each city) about their experience with rising temperatures and the intensity of air conditioner use.
During the hottest period of the year, respondents in Tokyo used residential air conditioning systems for an average of 14 hours and 12 minutes per day.
Next by duration of use:
- Houston — 14 hours and 2 minutes
- Dubai — 12 hours and 56 minutes
- Shanghai — 11 hours and 56 minutes
- New York — 11 hours and 36 minutes
In Tokyo:
- 29% of respondents reported using air conditioning systems 24 hours a day or almost all day
- 63% used them for at least 11 hours
The survey found that 94% of respondents in Tokyo believe it has become hotter in their area than 5 years ago, compared with 86.5% across all 12 cities.
According to calculations based on data from the Japan Meteorological Agency:
- the average daily maximum temperature in Tokyo from June to August increased from 29.7°C (85.5°F) in 2018–2020 to 32.0°C (89.6°F) in 2023–2025
- the increase of 2.3°C (4.1°F) was the largest among the surveyed cities
- the number of days with a maximum temperature of at least 35°C (95°F) increased from an annual average of 12.0 to 23.7 over the same period
Overall, 84.1% of respondents in the 12 cities said the annual period of air conditioner use has lengthened, including 83% in Tokyo.
In Tokyo:
- 65% of those surveyed said they set a higher temperature to reduce energy consumption (the average across the 12 cities was 37.5%)
- Daikin’s 2024 survey recorded an average cooling setpoint temperature in Tokyo of 26.2°C (79.2°F), compared with the global average of 23.6°C (74.5°F)
🌡️ In the survey, 89.9% of respondents reported physical discomfort related to heat. The most common responses were:
- reduced sleep quality (58.3%)
- fatigue (50.9%)
- headaches (36.1%)
Dubai recorded the largest share of respondents leaving the air conditioner on until morning (67.7%), followed by:
- Houston (63.5%)
- Tokyo (58.6%)
The survey also found that 64.4% of respondents sometimes cannot use enough cooling energy due to factors such as electricity costs and power supply constraints. About 90% said they would increase their use of cooling energy for comfort or health if these constraints did not exist.