IMAGICA GROUP Inc. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Group CEO: Shunjiro Nagase), a company providing global, end-to-end video planning, production, editing, distribution, and content services, announces that its group company Weathernews Map Inc. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Akira Mori) has launched a newly developed "Koji Amazake Index." This index indicates the recommended level for consuming koji amazake as a heatstroke prevention measure, based on meteorological forecast data such as temperature and humidity. Marking a new approach to heatstroke prevention, Marukome Co., Ltd., which promotes koji amazake, and Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture—a city leading Japan in heat countermeasures—have jointly installed a new vending machine at "KumaKids," a childcare support and health hub facility. The vending machine features an LCD monitor displaying the "Koji Amazake Index." The vending machine sells "Koji Amazake" by Marukome Co., Ltd., a beverage suitable for heatstroke prevention. By leveraging the index, the monitor visually encourages timely, proactive hydration—"preemptive replenishment"—based on daily weather conditions such as temperature and humidity. ■ Background and Objectives: Why Kumagaya's Childcare Facility? In recent years, summer heatwaves have intensified. Infants and young children, whose body temperature regulation functions are underdeveloped, face a higher risk of heatstroke than adults. To address this, at "KumaKids," Kumagaya City's childcare support and health hub where parents and children gather, Weathernews Map Inc.—a professional meteorological service provider—uses its Koji Amazake Index to visually alert visitors to heat risks. Together with Marukome's koji amazake, which offers natural hydration and electrolyte replenishment from rice (according to product specifications), the initiative aims to promote a new heatstroke prevention behavior. ■ What Is the Weather-Linked "Koji Amazake Index"? The "Koji