SmogRank / Episodes / Japan
Japan, 13 to 14 July 2024
For 2 days, from 13 to 14 July 2024, 33 cities in Japan had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Nagai, Yamagata, Japan: 36.1 µg/m³ on 14 July, about 3.0× its usual 12.0.
No cause named We have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached 33 in 1 country
Days 2 13 to 14 July 2024
Worst day 14 July 29 cities counted
Furthest above usual 4.3× Hanamaki
Day by day
Play 14 July 29 cities at twice their usual or more
Yurihonjō Kurihara Yoshioka Ōsaki Sendai Ōshū Shiroishi Tome Natori-shi Tagajō-shi Wakuya Matsushima Iwanuma Kakuda Higashimatsushima Fukushima Ishinomaki Sōma Kesennuma Minami-Sōma Kamaishi Shirakawa Nasushiobara Miyako Kuji Iwaki Minamiuonuma Yaita Imaichi Kitaibaraki Nasukarasuyama Utsunomiya Kanuma Hitachiomiya Jōetsu Hitachi Numata Kaminokawa Mooka Tochigi Kasama Nakanojō Kiryū Hitachi-Naka Shibukawa Mito Oyama Sano Ashikaga Ōta Tatebayashi Sakai-nakajima Takasaki Shimo-tsuma Koga Menuma Ishioka Suzaka Itoigawa Honjō Hanyū Gyōda Kazo Hokota Kumagaya Nagano Tsuchiura Kodamachō-kodamaminami Tomioka Bandō Kukichūō Naka Kōnosu Jōsō Yorii Higashi-Matsuyama Ogawamachi Kasukabe Ageo Noda Igusa Inashiki Ueda Chikuma Sakado Toride Saitama Koshigaya Kashima-shi Kawagoe Chichibu Morohongō Saku Kashiwa Sawara Nyūzen Kamisu Uozu Matsumoto Namerikawa Suwa Nanao Toyama Imizu Himimachi Takaoka Hakui Tonami Oyabe Takayama Tsubata Kanazawa Nonoichi Matsutō Komatsu Kaga Ono Mikuni Fukui-shi Sabae Chikusei Kōriyama Aizu-Wakamatsu Nagai Shonai Shibata Noshiro Oga Sakata Ōdate Hachinohe Niigata Nagaoka Tsuruoka Maki Yonezawa Kameda-honchō Higashine Sagae Shirone Ichinoseki Sado Niitsu-honchō Akita Hirosaki Yamagata Hakodate Aomori Morioka Takizawa Goshogawara Yokote Hanamaki 10 Jul 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.
How it spread
Sagae Sagae, 10 July: 5.9 µg/m³ Sagae, 11 July: 5.4 µg/m³ Sagae, 12 July: 19.5 µg/m³ Sagae, 13 July: 35.0 µg/m³, 3.5× its usual 10.0 Sagae, 14 July: 34.5 µg/m³, 3.4× its usual 10.1 Sagae, 15 July: 17.5 µg/m³ Sagae, 16 July: 25.2 µg/m³ Sagae, 17 July: 20.8 µg/m³ Morioka Morioka, 10 July: 5.2 µg/m³ Morioka, 11 July: 4.8 µg/m³ Morioka, 12 July: 17.1 µg/m³ Morioka, 13 July: 32.5 µg/m³, 4.0× its usual 8.2 Morioka, 14 July: 30.1 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 8.3 Morioka, 15 July: 20.8 µg/m³ Morioka, 16 July: 23.3 µg/m³ Morioka, 17 July: 18.1 µg/m³ Yamagata Yamagata, 10 July: 4.6 µg/m³ Yamagata, 11 July: 4.2 µg/m³ Yamagata, 12 July: 13.3 µg/m³ Yamagata, 13 July: 31.1 µg/m³, 3.8× its usual 8.2 Yamagata, 14 July: 32.0 µg/m³, 3.9× its usual 8.2 Yamagata, 15 July: 12.6 µg/m³ Yamagata, 16 July: 20.8 µg/m³ Yamagata, 17 July: 16.0 µg/m³ Hanamaki Hanamaki, 10 July: 3.9 µg/m³ Hanamaki, 11 July: 3.0 µg/m³ Hanamaki, 12 July: 16.2 µg/m³ Hanamaki, 13 July: 30.5 µg/m³, 4.3× its usual 7.1 Hanamaki, 14 July: 24.9 µg/m³ Hanamaki, 15 July: 18.1 µg/m³ Hanamaki, 16 July: 22.6 µg/m³ Hanamaki, 17 July: 15.3 µg/m³ Higashine Higashine, 10 July: 3.5 µg/m³ Higashine, 11 July: 3.7 µg/m³ Higashine, 12 July: 15.1 µg/m³ Higashine, 13 July: 30.5 µg/m³, 3.5× its usual 8.8 Higashine, 14 July: 28.0 µg/m³, 3.1× its usual 8.9 Higashine, 15 July: 13.6 µg/m³ Higashine, 16 July: 22.8 µg/m³ Higashine, 17 July: 14.5 µg/m³ Ichinoseki Ichinoseki, 10 July: 6.1 µg/m³ Ichinoseki, 11 July: 3.7 µg/m³ Ichinoseki, 12 July: 13.9 µg/m³ Ichinoseki, 13 July: 30.2 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 8.3 Ichinoseki, 14 July: 19.1 µg/m³ Ichinoseki, 15 July: 17.3 µg/m³ Ichinoseki, 16 July: 21.9 µg/m³ Ichinoseki, 17 July: 13.9 µg/m³ Takizawa Takizawa, 10 July: 3.7 µg/m³ Takizawa, 11 July: 3.3 µg/m³ Takizawa, 12 July: 16.5 µg/m³ Takizawa, 13 July: 29.6 µg/m³, 4.2× its usual 7.0 Takizawa, 14 July: 27.0 µg/m³, 3.8× its usual 7.1 Takizawa, 15 July: 18.5 µg/m³ Takizawa, 16 July: 20.8 µg/m³ Takizawa, 17 July: 16.4 µg/m³ Yonezawa Yonezawa, 10 July: 4.6 µg/m³ Yonezawa, 11 July: 4.8 µg/m³ Yonezawa, 12 July: 6.5 µg/m³ Yonezawa, 13 July: 29.0 µg/m³, 3.0× its usual 9.6 Yonezawa, 14 July: 32.9 µg/m³, 3.4× its usual 9.6 Yonezawa, 15 July: 11.7 µg/m³ Yonezawa, 16 July: 16.0 µg/m³ Yonezawa, 17 July: 11.4 µg/m³ Sado Sado, 10 July: 4.1 µg/m³ Sado, 11 July: 5.3 µg/m³ Sado, 12 July: 12.0 µg/m³ Sado, 13 July: 28.8 µg/m³, 3.5× its usual 8.3 Sado, 14 July: 30.5 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 8.5 Sado, 15 July: 14.3 µg/m³ Sado, 16 July: 8.4 µg/m³ Sado, 17 July: 5.1 µg/m³ Goshogawara Goshogawara, 10 July: 3.3 µg/m³ Goshogawara, 11 July: 7.0 µg/m³ Goshogawara, 12 July: 17.0 µg/m³ Goshogawara, 13 July: 28.6 µg/m³, 4.1× its usual 6.9 Goshogawara, 14 July: 29.7 µg/m³, 4.2× its usual 7.1 Goshogawara, 15 July: 27.1 µg/m³ Goshogawara, 16 July: 23.2 µg/m³ Goshogawara, 17 July: 17.3 µg/m³ Aomori Aomori, 10 July: 5.5 µg/m³ Aomori, 11 July: 8.7 µg/m³ Aomori, 12 July: 20.9 µg/m³ Aomori, 13 July: 28.0 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 7.8 Aomori, 14 July: 31.4 µg/m³, 4.0× its usual 7.8 Aomori, 15 July: 21.8 µg/m³ Aomori, 16 July: 21.2 µg/m³ Aomori, 17 July: 19.0 µg/m³ Hakodate Hakodate, 10 July: 7.6 µg/m³ Hakodate, 11 July: 10.4 µg/m³ Hakodate, 12 July: 22.1 µg/m³ Hakodate, 13 July: 27.9 µg/m³, 4.0× its usual 7.0 Hakodate, 14 July: 13.4 µg/m³ Hakodate, 15 July: 16.0 µg/m³ Hakodate, 16 July: 19.5 µg/m³ Hakodate, 17 July: 15.3 µg/m³ Hirosaki Hirosaki, 10 July: 5.9 µg/m³ Hirosaki, 11 July: 7.7 µg/m³ Hirosaki, 12 July: 21.5 µg/m³ Hirosaki, 13 July: 27.9 µg/m³, 3.2× its usual 8.6 Hirosaki, 14 July: 32.4 µg/m³, 3.8× its usual 8.6 Hirosaki, 15 July: 32.0 µg/m³ Hirosaki, 16 July: 28.3 µg/m³ Hirosaki, 17 July: 22.0 µg/m³ Shonai Shonai, 10 July: 5.2 µg/m³ Shonai, 11 July: 5.0 µg/m³ Shonai, 12 July: 12.3 µg/m³ Shonai, 13 July: 27.7 µg/m³, 2.9× its usual 9.6 Shonai, 14 July: 29.6 µg/m³, 3.1× its usual 9.6 Shonai, 15 July: 20.8 µg/m³ Shonai, 16 July: 24.0 µg/m³ Shonai, 17 July: 14.5 µg/m³ Hachinohe Hachinohe, 10 July: 6.1 µg/m³ Hachinohe, 11 July: 7.0 µg/m³ Hachinohe, 12 July: 15.7 µg/m³ Hachinohe, 13 July: 27.6 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 8.4 Hachinohe, 14 July: 23.0 µg/m³ Hachinohe, 15 July: 21.4 µg/m³ Hachinohe, 16 July: 24.1 µg/m³ Hachinohe, 17 July: 18.5 µg/m³ Nagai Nagai, 10 July: no reading Nagai, 11 July: no reading Nagai, 12 July: 9.2 µg/m³ Nagai, 13 July: 26.0 µg/m³, 2.2× its usual 12.0 Nagai, 14 July: 36.1 µg/m³, 3.0× its usual 12.0 Nagai, 15 July: 11.7 µg/m³ Nagai, 16 July: 16.7 µg/m³ Nagai, 17 July: no reading Yokote Yokote, 10 July: 4.6 µg/m³ Yokote, 11 July: 2.5 µg/m³ Yokote, 12 July: 14.5 µg/m³ Yokote, 13 July: 25.5 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 7.8 Yokote, 14 July: 32.6 µg/m³, 4.2× its usual 7.8 Yokote, 15 July: 19.4 µg/m³ Yokote, 16 July: 20.2 µg/m³ Yokote, 17 July: 13.7 µg/m³ Sakata Sakata, 10 July: 7.2 µg/m³ Sakata, 11 July: 5.6 µg/m³ Sakata, 12 July: 11.2 µg/m³ Sakata, 13 July: 25.4 µg/m³, 2.4× its usual 10.5 Sakata, 14 July: 33.3 µg/m³, 3.2× its usual 10.5 Sakata, 15 July: 22.4 µg/m³ Sakata, 16 July: 23.4 µg/m³ Sakata, 17 July: 15.7 µg/m³ Tsuruoka Tsuruoka, 10 July: 6.5 µg/m³ Tsuruoka, 11 July: 6.4 µg/m³ Tsuruoka, 12 July: 12.1 µg/m³ Tsuruoka, 13 July: 25.2 µg/m³, 2.6× its usual 9.7 Tsuruoka, 14 July: 32.8 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 9.8 Tsuruoka, 15 July: 19.2 µg/m³ Tsuruoka, 16 July: 21.1 µg/m³ Tsuruoka, 17 July: 14.3 µg/m³ Niitsu-honchō Niitsu-honchō, 10 July: 3.5 µg/m³ Niitsu-honchō, 11 July: 3.1 µg/m³ Niitsu-honchō, 12 July: 6.1 µg/m³ Niitsu-honchō, 13 July: 17.7 µg/m³ Niitsu-honchō, 14 July: 32.0 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 8.8 Niitsu-honchō, 15 July: 9.4 µg/m³ Niitsu-honchō, 16 July: 9.1 µg/m³ Niitsu-honchō, 17 July: 5.5 µg/m³ Shibata Shibata, 10 July: 4.6 µg/m³ Shibata, 11 July: 5.1 µg/m³ Shibata, 12 July: 8.9 µg/m³ Shibata, 13 July: 18.4 µg/m³ Shibata, 14 July: 30.2 µg/m³, 3.1× its usual 9.8 Shibata, 15 July: 12.4 µg/m³ Shibata, 16 July: 8.5 µg/m³ Shibata, 17 July: 7.0 µg/m³ Kameda-honchō Kameda-honchō, 10 July: 3.5 µg/m³ Kameda-honchō, 11 July: 4.1 µg/m³ Kameda-honchō, 12 July: 8.6 µg/m³ Kameda-honchō, 13 July: 18.6 µg/m³ Kameda-honchō, 14 July: 29.6 µg/m³, 3.5× its usual 8.5 Kameda-honchō, 15 July: 13.5 µg/m³ Kameda-honchō, 16 July: 9.8 µg/m³ Kameda-honchō, 17 July: 5.8 µg/m³ Nagaoka Nagaoka, 10 July: 3.0 µg/m³ Nagaoka, 11 July: 2.8 µg/m³ Nagaoka, 12 July: 5.3 µg/m³ Nagaoka, 13 July: 17.0 µg/m³ Nagaoka, 14 July: 29.6 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 8.9 Nagaoka, 15 July: 9.6 µg/m³ Nagaoka, 16 July: 5.8 µg/m³ Nagaoka, 17 July: 5.2 µg/m³ Shirone Shirone, 10 July: 2.7 µg/m³ Shirone, 11 July: 2.4 µg/m³ Shirone, 12 July: 6.3 µg/m³ Shirone, 13 July: 18.5 µg/m³ Shirone, 14 July: 29.4 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 8.2 Shirone, 15 July: 10.1 µg/m³ Shirone, 16 July: 5.9 µg/m³ Shirone, 17 July: 4.4 µg/m³ Niigata Niigata, 10 July: 2.9 µg/m³ Niigata, 11 July: 3.4 µg/m³ Niigata, 12 July: 7.7 µg/m³ Niigata, 13 July: 18.0 µg/m³ Niigata, 14 July: 28.7 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 8.6 Niigata, 15 July: 13.3 µg/m³ Niigata, 16 July: 8.2 µg/m³ Niigata, 17 July: 5.1 µg/m³ Akita Akita, 10 July: 5.6 µg/m³ Akita, 11 July: 3.4 µg/m³ Akita, 12 July: 10.5 µg/m³ Akita, 13 July: 22.4 µg/m³ Akita, 14 July: 28.0 µg/m³, 3.7× its usual 7.5 Akita, 15 July: 21.0 µg/m³ Akita, 16 July: 17.9 µg/m³ Akita, 17 July: no reading Maki Maki, 10 July: 3.2 µg/m³ Maki, 11 July: 2.3 µg/m³ Maki, 12 July: 8.4 µg/m³ Maki, 13 July: 18.2 µg/m³ Maki, 14 July: 27.9 µg/m³, 3.4× its usual 8.1 Maki, 15 July: 11.9 µg/m³ Maki, 16 July: 8.1 µg/m³ Maki, 17 July: 4.2 µg/m³ Oga Oga, 10 July: 5.3 µg/m³ Oga, 11 July: 5.6 µg/m³ Oga, 12 July: 12.0 µg/m³ Oga, 13 July: 23.6 µg/m³ Oga, 14 July: 27.9 µg/m³, 3.2× its usual 8.8 Oga, 15 July: 29.1 µg/m³ Oga, 16 July: 23.1 µg/m³ Oga, 17 July: 14.5 µg/m³ Noshiro Noshiro, 10 July: 4.5 µg/m³ Noshiro, 11 July: 6.1 µg/m³ Noshiro, 12 July: 14.5 µg/m³ Noshiro, 13 July: 21.7 µg/m³ Noshiro, 14 July: 27.5 µg/m³, 3.2× its usual 8.6 Noshiro, 15 July: no reading Noshiro, 16 July: no reading Noshiro, 17 July: 14.8 µg/m³ Ōdate Ōdate, 10 July: 3.4 µg/m³ Ōdate, 11 July: no reading Ōdate, 12 July: no reading Ōdate, 13 July: 23.2 µg/m³ Ōdate, 14 July: 27.1 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 8.2 Ōdate, 15 July: no reading Ōdate, 16 July: no reading Ōdate, 17 July: 17.9 µg/m³ Kōriyama Kōriyama, 10 July: 3.6 µg/m³ Kōriyama, 11 July: 4.3 µg/m³ Kōriyama, 12 July: 4.3 µg/m³ Kōriyama, 13 July: 19.6 µg/m³ Kōriyama, 14 July: 26.3 µg/m³, 2.8× its usual 9.3 Kōriyama, 15 July: 12.1 µg/m³ Kōriyama, 16 July: 15.2 µg/m³ Kōriyama, 17 July: 12.0 µg/m³ Chikusei Chikusei, 10 July: 19.2 µg/m³ Chikusei, 11 July: 18.2 µg/m³ Chikusei, 12 July: 8.8 µg/m³ Chikusei, 13 July: 18.4 µg/m³ Chikusei, 14 July: 25.8 µg/m³, 2.6× its usual 10.0 Chikusei, 15 July: 11.7 µg/m³ Chikusei, 16 July: 22.0 µg/m³ Chikusei, 17 July: 13.5 µg/m³ Aizu-Wakamatsu Aizu-Wakamatsu, 10 July: 2.0 µg/m³ Aizu-Wakamatsu, 11 July: 1.9 µg/m³ Aizu-Wakamatsu, 12 July: 3.6 µg/m³ Aizu-Wakamatsu, 13 July: 18.1 µg/m³ Aizu-Wakamatsu, 14 July: 25.5 µg/m³, 3.0× its usual 8.5 Aizu-Wakamatsu, 15 July: 8.3 µg/m³ Aizu-Wakamatsu, 16 July: 9.4 µg/m³ Aizu-Wakamatsu, 17 July: 5.4 µg/m³ 10 Jul 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more. Good 0–50
Moderate 51–100
Sensitive groups 101–150
Unhealthy 151–200
Very unhealthy 201–300
Hazardous 301+
Every city it reached
City Days Highest Usual Above usual
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan 1 13 July 7.1 4.3× Yokote Akita, Japan 2 14 July 7.8 4.2× Goshogawara Aomori, Japan 2 14 July 7.1 4.2× Takizawa Iwate, Japan 2 13 July 7.0 4.2× Morioka Iwate, Japan 2 13 July 8.2 4.0× Aomori Aomori, Japan 2 14 July 7.8 4.0× Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan 1 13 July 7.0 4.0× Yamagata Yamagata, Japan 2 14 July 8.2 3.9× Hirosaki Aomori, Japan 2 14 July 8.6 3.8× Akita Akita, Japan 1 14 July 7.5 3.7× Niitsu-honchō Niigata, Japan 1 14 July 8.8 3.6× Sado Niigata, Japan 2 14 July 8.5 3.6× Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan 1 13 July 8.3 3.6× Shirone Niigata, Japan 1 14 July 8.2 3.6× Sagae Yamagata, Japan 2 13 July 10.0 3.5× Higashine Yamagata, Japan 2 13 July 8.8 3.5× Kameda-honchō Niigata, Japan 1 14 July 8.5 3.5× Yonezawa Yamagata, Japan 2 14 July 9.6 3.4× Maki Niigata, Japan 1 14 July 8.1 3.4× Tsuruoka Yamagata, Japan 2 14 July 9.8 3.3× Nagaoka Niigata, Japan 1 14 July 8.9 3.3× Niigata Niigata, Japan 1 14 July 8.6 3.3× Hachinohe Aomori, Japan 1 13 July 8.4 3.3× Ōdate Akita, Japan 1 14 July 8.2 3.3× Sakata Yamagata, Japan 2 14 July 10.5 3.2× Oga Akita, Japan 1 14 July 8.8 3.2× Noshiro Akita, Japan 1 14 July 8.6 3.2× Shibata Niigata, Japan 1 14 July 9.8 3.1× Shonai Yamagata, Japan 2 14 July 9.6 3.1× Nagai Yamagata, Japan 2 14 July 12.0 3.0× Aizu-Wakamatsu Fukushima, Japan 1 14 July 8.5 3.0× Kōriyama Fukushima, Japan 1 14 July 9.3 2.8× Chikusei Ibaraki, Japan 1 14 July 10.0 2.6×
Daily means in µg/m³, over the days each city counted in this episode. Highest: its highest of those days. Usual: the city's median for the time of year of that day (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that, with a usual under 5 µg/m³ taken as 5.
Against other episodes in Japan
Number 22 of 39 episodes in Japan since our records began, by cities reached.
Japan and South Korea, June and July 2025 508 Japan and South Korea, April 2024 499 Japan and South Korea, March 2025 454 Japan and South Korea, March 2026 305 Japan and South Korea, January 2025 274 Japan and South Korea, February and March 2025 192 Japan, 21 to 25 July 2026 172 Japan, November 2023 131 Japan, 4 to 5 August 2025 126 Japan, January and February 2025 110 Japan, May 2025 103 Japan, March 2025 92 Japan, 13 to 14 July 2024 33 Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 39 .
Use this page SmogRank, Japan, 13 to 14 July 2024: 33 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 13 to 14 July 2024, smogrank.com/episodes/2024-07-13-japan (accessed 4 October 2026).
Copy citation Download top 10 (PNG)
You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms .
An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes . Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.
