With temperatures this year that peaked in the mid-30s, made only worse by Tokyo's hair plastering humidity, there were two major topics that were featured prominently on television: how hot it was and what could be done to beat the heat. Cameras showed long lines of people wearing sandals and cooling themselves down with paper fans as they waited to get their hands on cold treats. In particular, kakigōri — large bowls full of paper-thin slivers of ice with sticky syrup and fresh fruit, the perfect antidote for the summer heat — were a big hit this year.