Masumi Zaiki

Pre-1872 Extension of the Japanese Instrumental Meteorological Observation Series back to 1819

Instrumental observations from Dejima (Nagasaki), Japan, taken under the responsibility of the Dutch, covering the periods 1819-28, 1845-58, and 1871-78, have been recovered. The Dejima series overlaps by six months the modern Nagasaki Observatory series, which covers 1878-present. The recovered data extend the start of the instrumental Japanese series back from 1872 to 1819, leaving major gaps during 1829-44 and 1859-71.

Climate Variations in Tokyo Since the Edo Period

This chapter discusses climate variations in Tokyo, based on the reconstructed summer temperatures since the eighteenth century and instrumental meteorological data from the nineteenth century to the present. During the Little Ice Age, especially in the eighteenth century, remarkable cool episodes occurred in the 1730s, the 1780s, and the 1830s. These cool conditions could be a significant reason for the severe famines that occurred during the Edo period. Around the 1840s and 1850s, near the end of the Edo period, it was rather warm, which could correspond to the end of the Little Ice Age in Japan. Although there was a low-temperature period in the 1900s, a long-term warming trend could be seen, especially in winter temperatures and daily minimum temperatures, throughout the twentieth century. While annual precipitation has been increasing during the last 30 years, relative humidity has been decreasing since the late nineteenth century. This could be the result of saturated vapor pressure rise due to warming and a loss of water bodies due to urbanization. During the last century, both warmer and wetter conditions in summer and autumn, and drier conditions in winter and spring, were documented by analyzing hythergraphs.

An Analysis of Typhoon Tracks Around Japan Using ArcGIS

ABSTRACT Typhoons (hurricanes) are a major cause of casualties and damage in the Northwest Pacific Basin. This study used geographical information systems (GIS) software to analyze the tracks of typhoons that enter the northern part of the basin and affect Japan. The study area encompassed the northern part of the Northwest Pacific Basin (28°–48° N and 110°–180° E). The primary data for the analysis were from the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship for a sixty-three-year period (1951–2013). Using ArcGIS, we delineated four zones within the study area based on a 300-km buffer around the main Japanese islands. We used this zonal classification to analyze the frequency of typhoons entering each zone, examine the relationship between origin location and zone, and demonstrate how ArcGIS can be used to study the relationship between typhoon tracks and the location and strength of the North Pacific Subtropical High. As few studies have employed GIS software to analyze typhoon tracks over time and space, our goal is to demonstrate how ArcGIS can be used to map and analyze typhoon tracks to better understand the distribution and movement of these dangerous storms in this heavily populated region.