Extreme heat continues in Niigata…affecting the local specialty, green soybeans. In Joetsu City, water shortages are worsening and there is a risk of water cuts…8 swimming pools in the city are closed, with people asking for rain to come soon.

Niigata is going through a serious heatwave with almost no rain, and it's causing big problems. The local specialty, edamame (green soybeans), is being damaged due to dry soil. Farmers are struggling, having to water crops more often because the ground is cracking from lack of moisture.

In Joetsu City, the situation is even worse. A broken pipe from a dam earlier this year already caused trouble, and now another dam—Shouzenji Dam—is running very low on water. As of August 1, its water level was down to just 11.9%. If things don’t improve, the city may run out of tap water by mid-August.

The city has asked over 46,000 households to cut their water use by at least 40%. They’ve also set up water supply points outside the restricted areas so people can get water.

Because of the shortage, Joetsu shut down all 8 public pools starting July 28 to save water. This happened just as summer vacation began, disappointing many families and kids.

Officials say there's no clear idea when things will get better—everything depends on rain.