Climate In Japan Research Articles

Complete Genome Sequences of Polynucleobacter sp. Subcluster PnecA Strains SHI2 and SHI8, Isolated from an Oligotrophic-Dystrophic Lake in Japan.

Members of the genus Polynucleobacter belonging to the subcluster PnecA comprise freshwater bacterioplankton with worldwide distribution. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of two Polynucleobacter sp. strains (PnecA), SHI2 and SHI8, isolated from the surface water of an oligotrophic-dystrophic lake in a humid continental climate in Japan.

Yield performance of hybrid rice in a cool climate in Japan

Yield performance of hybrid rice in a cool climate in Japan

Long‐term no‐tillage and rye cover crops affect soil biological indicators on Andosols in a humid, subtropical climate

AbstractThe effects of tillage and cover crop management on the physical and chemical properties of soil are well‐documented. However, the responses of soil microbes to long‐term tillage and crop rotation schemes still need clarification. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different tillage and cover crop systems on soil biological indicators and their interactions in Andosols in a humid subtropical climate in Japan. This study was conducted during a field trial established in 2002. The main factors were tillage systems (no‐tillage [NT] and mouldboard ploughing [MP]); the subplot was winter cover crop treatments (bare fallow [FA] and rye [RY]) succeeding summer soya bean. Soil microbial biomass, community and structure, and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock were assessed, as well as soil respiration in the past 2.5 years. Overall, the NT and RY systems increased the soil respiration and SOC stocks relative to those detected in the MP and FA systems. After being differentiated for 18 years, the tillage systems showed a greater influence on the soil microbial community and biomass than cover crop treatments. These tillage systems significantly altered the bacterial alpha diversity (NT > MP) and soil microbial biomasses (NT > MP) based on soil Adenosine 5′‐triphosphate content, substrate‐induced respiration and ergosterol content. The NT and RY treatments stimulated soil respiration by positively affecting plant residue retention, SOC stocks, bacterial alpha diversity, soil microbial biomass in summer, and the relative abundance of organic matter decomposers, such as Bacteroidetes‐, Basidiomycota‐ and Ascomycota‐related species. These results suggest that the NT and RY systems helped improve the soil microbial properties of Andosols in a humid subtropical climate in Japan. However, their potential vulnerability to SOC sequestration due to elevated soil respiration needs further clarification, especially in the context of global warming.Highlights Soil microbe responses to agricultural measures on Andosols were studied. No‐tillage and rye cover crops stimulated soil respiration. No‐tillage shifted the soil microbial community more than cover crops. No‐tillage improved the soil organic carbon stock and bacterial alpha diversity.

Soil carbon balance after the temporal cessation of cultivation under cool and subtropical humid climate in Japan

AbstractThe decreasing number of farm households in Japan is beginning to affect soil carbon and nitrogen balance. At both cool and warm sites, the soil C level was the lowest in the second year of the experiment, and thereafter, it gradually increased. The change in soil C concentration was negative at the warmer site; however, the content reached 119 g C m−2 at the cooler site. Soil N showed a significant increase of 14.3 g N m−2 from the first year to over 4 years at the cooler site. At the cooler site, less soil decomposition contributed to the retention of soil C and N, and the dominant deciduous woody plants increased the supplemental C and N content. Land‐use management strategies involving conventional cultivation, abandonment and abandonment to recultivation did not affect the soil C and N balance for over 6 years. Fallow tillage to recultivation was less effective in retaining the C pool in the fifth year of the experiment, causing significantly lower soil C content (1.97 kg C m−2) than abandonment to recultivation (2.20 kg C m−2). Whereas the soil C content increased in the subsequent year (i.e. the sixth year), less productivity of recultivation crop (white mustard) contributed to a significant decrease in soil C, and abundant residue of winter wheat could recover the soil C and N in the subsequent year. The results suggest that agricultural abandonment can preserve soil C in cool regions and that the introduction of winter crops can maintain the C pool.

Forecasting a 2-methylisoborneol outbreak in a brackish lake.

2-Methylisoborneol (2-MIB) is the primary cause of the earthy and musty odor produced by cyanobacteria, which deteriorates the quality of fishery products and tap water. Despite the need for controlling outbreaks, few studies have been conducted on 2-MIB in brackish lakes, where capture fisheries are active. This study examined the association between water quality and the outbreak of 2-MIB in a brackish lake using statistical analysis of long-term monitoring data and developed forecasting models for 2-MIB outbreaks. We investigated Lake Ogawara, which is a brackish lake with a cool-temperate climate in Japan, where 2-MIB outbreaks frequently occur between August and December. Logistic regression analyses were performed using the outbreak or non-outbreak of 2-MIB (2-MIB(+ / -)) as the dependent variable and water quality parameters as the independent variables. The results suggested that the density of 2-MIB-producing cyanobacteria was higher when (1) dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations were low under the relaxation of phosphorus limitation and/or (2) salinity or micronutrient concentrations were high. In addition, we successfully developed forecasting models with a high predictive power that determined 2-MIB(+ / -) in August-December using only two water quality parameters: dissolved inorganic phosphate and pH in April and total nitrogen/total phosphorous and salinity in May.

Local Atmospheric Response to the Kuroshio Large Meander Path in Summer and Its Remote Influence on the Climate of Japan

AbstractThe Kanto district in Japan, including Tokyo, has 40 million inhabitants and its summer climate is characterized by high temperature and humidity. The Kuroshio that flows off the southern coast of the Kanto district has taken a large meander (LM) path since the summer of 2017 for the first time since the 2004–05 event. Recently developed satellite observations detected marked coastal warming off the Kanto–Tokai district during the LM path period. By conducting regional atmospheric model experiments, it is found that summertime coastal warming increases water vapor in the low-level atmosphere through enhanced evaporation from the ocean and influences near-surface winds via the vertical mixing effect over the warming area. These two changes induce an increase in water vapor in Kanto district, leading to an increase in downward longwave radiation at the surface and then surface warming through a local greenhouse effect. As a result, summer in Kanto district becomes increasingly hot and humid in LM years, with double the number of discomfort days compared with non-LM years. Our simulations and supplementary observational studies reveal the significant impacts of the LM-induced coastal warming on the summertime climate in Japan, which can exceed previously identified atmospheric teleconnections and climate patterns. Our results could improve weather and seasonal climate forecasts in this region.

Estimating spatial variation in the effects of climate change on the net primary production of Japanese cedar plantations based on modeled carbon dynamics

Spatiotemporal prediction of the response of planted forests to a changing climate is increasingly important for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. In this study, we present a methodology for estimating spatially varying productivity in a planted forest and changes in productivity with a changing climate in Japan, with a focus on Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) as a representative tree species of this region. The process-based model Biome-BGC was parameterized using a plant trait database for Japanese cedar and a Bayesian optimization scheme. To compare productivity under historical (1996–2000) and future (2096–2100) climatic conditions, the climate scenarios of two representative concentration pathways (i.e., RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) were used in five global climate models (GCMs) with approximately 1-km resolution. The seasonality of modeled fluxes, namely gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, net ecosystem exchange, and soil respiration, improved after two steps of parameterization. The estimated net primary production (NPP) of stands aged 36–40 years under the historical climatic conditions of the five GCMs was 0.77 ± 0.10 kgC m-2 year-1 (mean ± standard deviation), in accordance with the geographical distribution of forest NPP estimated in previous studies. Under the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, the mean NPP of the five GCMs increased by 0.04 ± 0.07 and 0.14 ± 0.11 kgC m-2 year-1, respectively. The increases in annual NPP were small in the southwestern region because of the decreases in summer NPP and the small increases in winter NPP under the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. Under the RCP2.6 scenario, Japanese cedar was at risk in the southwestern region, in accordance with previous studies, and monitoring and silvicultural practices should be modified accordingly.

Epidemiological study to investigate the incidence and prevalence of clinical mastitis, peracute mastitis, metabolic disorders and peripartum disorders, on a dairy farm in a temperate zone in Japan

BackgroundOur aim was to investigate the incidence and prevalence of clinical mastitis, peracute mastitis, metabolic disorders, and peripartum disorders, and to examine factors affecting the prevalence of each disease in cows raised on a large dairy farm in a temperate climate in Japan. The present study was performed on a large commercial dairy farm with approximately 2500 Holstein cows. Data were collected from 2014 to 2018, and involved 9663 calving records for 4256 cows.ResultsThe incidence rate on the farm was 21.9% for clinical mastitis, 10.4% for peracute mastitis, 2.9% for metabolic disorders, and 3.2% for peripartum disorders. The prevalence rates for clinical mastitis, peracute mastitis, metabolic disorders, and peripartum disorders were 28.0, 13.3, 3.7, and 4.0%, respectively. In all four diseases, the probability of time to occurrence for each disease was associated with parity and calving season (P < 0.05). Regarding metabolic disorders and peripartum disorders, the probability of occurrence decreased during the first 10 days after calving.ConclusionsOur results showed that clinical mastitis occurred most often in this temperate zone, and that metabolic disorders and peripartum disorders occurred from calving to day 10 post-calving.

暖候期の高知・岡山間の気候学的な降水量差に寄与する日々の降水や大気場に関する解析（瀬戸内式気候に関連して）

暖候期の高知・岡山間の気候学的な降水量差に寄与する日々の降水や大気場に関する解析（瀬戸内式気候に関連して）

1. 気候要因から見た自然草原の植生帯区分研究の現状 ( 日本における自然草原の気候要因から見た植生帯区分とその温暖化による影響)

1. 気候要因から見た自然草原の植生帯区分研究の現状 ( 日本における自然草原の気候要因から見た植生帯区分とその温暖化による影響)

森林土壌における気候帯別の窒素無機化 : 土壌理化学性,気温,土壌型による現地窒素無機化速度の推定

森林土壌における気候帯別の窒素無機化 : 土壌理化学性,気温,土壌型による現地窒素無機化速度の推定

CLIMATE, CRIME, AND SUICIDE: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM JAPAN

The relationship between climate change and violent behavior has been well documented in previous studies. Violence has two dimensions: outward violence (i.e., crime) and inward violence (i.e., suicide). To our knowledge, rigorous empirical studies have not been performed to investigate how climate change affects both criminal and suicidal behavior. This study aims to estimate the effects of climate change on crime and suicide in Japan by using prefecture-level monthly panel data on climate, crime, and suicide between 2009 and 2015. Even after controlling for prefecture, yearly, and monthly effects, we found that many climate factors affected both crime and suicide in Japan. In particular, more aggressive behavior and an increased number of suicides were observed when the average temperature increased. Furthermore, we predicted how changes in the climate of Japan will affect future patterns of criminal and suicidal behavior based on two climate change scenarios.

Relationship between Public Health and Climate in Japan

This commentary discusses the relationship between Japan’s climate and public health. For example, in Japan, the climate varies in different regions. For this reason, there are regional differences in the food that can be harvested. Furthermore, there are also regional differences in whether people eat specific foods raw, or whether food can be processed for long term storage. These differences influence local occurrence of food poisoning. Conversely, Japan’s regional differences in climate are being lost because of global environmental problems, development of building technology, or imports. In this paper, we explain food sanitation and the relationship between climate and environmental hygiene and occupational health in Japan.

Improving Arbitration Climate in Japan: Report and Recommendations

Japan is the third largest economy in the world, strongly oriented on high levels of foreign investment and with large enterprises engaged in international commercial transactions. Yet despite a strong rule of law and a favourable legislative framework based on the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration it has one of the least utilised arbitration systems in Asia.This report and recommendations resulted from a project supported by Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation, which brought together arbitration experts from Japan and the United Kingdom to analyse and make recommendations on how to make Japan a more attractive destination for arbitration. The project included a seminar at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London in May 2016 and a conference at Nagoya University in June 2016. This report analyses key issues related to development of international arbitration in Japan and propose recommendations on the basis of analysis and discussion at these two events.

Japanese neonatal nursing with a historic perspective

Neonatal Nurses' scope of practice and scope of knowledge varies widely across the globe. The development of professional roles is unique to specific regions and is often driven by a number of factors, including local culture and health priorities. Japanese neonatal nurses have traditionally practiced with limited scope compared to the other parts of the world. However, the present climate in Japan presents an opportunity for the innovative developments. An exploration into advancing the role of neonatal nurses revealed complexities that impacted on current Japanese nursing practice. This article will discuss the legal and historic influences that have shaped current neonatal nursing practice, the training, educational opportunities for nurses pursuing neonatal nursing, and the challenges for those who wish to practice beyond the scope of traditional practice in Japan today.This report regarding the legal and historic influences on Neonatal Nursing in Japan aims to provide a backdrop to future reports from Japan. It is hoped that this knowledge will add clarity to future discussions on issues surrounding Neonatal Nursing globally.

Seasonal Variation in the Incidence of Late-onset Bleb-related Infection After Filtering Surgery in Japan: The Japan Glaucoma Society Survey of Bleb-related Infection Report 3.

To investigate seasonal variations in the incidence of late-onset bleb-related infection after filtering surgery in Japan and the relationship between season and other factors. This multicenter, prospective study is part of a 5-year-long Japan Glaucoma Society survey of bleb-related infection. We analyzed 156 cases of first-time infections (106 men, 50 women) encountered over 5 years to determine the seasonal variation using the Roger test and the relationships between season, sex, and age by logistic regression analysis. We noted significant monthly seasonal variation in the incidence of infection, which was the highest in January and February (23 and 18 infections, respectively; P=0.018) and lowest from August to November (9, 9, 11, and 8 infections, in that order). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that infections were most frequent among women in spring (odds ratio, 8.43; P=0.005). Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. infections were more frequent in warmer seasons than in winter. Less virulent species, namely, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Enterococcus spp., were frequently detected in winter. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. and Haemophilus influenzae were more frequent in women and men, respectively. The incidence of late-onset bleb-related infection showed significant seasonal variation and sex differences. The climate in Japan may influence the incidence of bleb-related infection. Moreover, besides climate, physical activity level and lifestyle may contribute to the seasonal variation in the incidence and sex differences in the involved bacterial agents of bleb-related infections in Japan.

Justice and Dialogue in Japan's Top Press: Philosopher Michael Sandel as Cultural Authority

In April 2010, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK: Nippon Hoso Kyokai) began broadcasting Justice With Michael Sandel, a highly popular lecture course by the Harvard political philosopher. Despite its serious content, the program has enjoyed much popularity and has been rebroadcast several times. In this article, I analyze how Japanese major newspapers have discussed the lectures and the scholarship of Michael Sandel. The analysis reveals that the popularity of Sandel's lectures reflects the feeling of uneasiness shared among the public about the current social climate in Japan. Sandel's political philosophy and educational practice seem to have offered the Japanese public a means to address moral political issues facing the country.

Nontraditional Family-Related Attitudes in Japan: Macro and Micro Determinants.

Attitudinal data are commonly used to measure values, which in turn represent moral doctrines that are resistant to change and are the foundation for societal norms. This article examines changes in the attitudinal climate in Japan. Three national surveys (1994, 2000, and 2009) are used to examine a range of attitudes that measure a) the centrality of marriage and childbearing, b) nontraditional family behaviors, and c) gender roles in the work and family spheres. There is strong evidence of movement toward less‐traditional attitudes during 1994–2000, followed by limited change in the 2000s. Period factors were paramount in the 1990s. Across the board, women hold less‐traditional attitudes than men, and this difference has increased over time. Both engaging in nontraditional family behaviors (being married but remaining childless) and knowing someone who has engaged in nontraditional family behaviors (cohabitation) causally lead to holding nontraditional attitudes, suggesting mechanisms whereby changes in individual behavior can lead to changes in societal values.

Long-term changes in the chemical properties of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forest soils under high precipitation in southwest Japan

There is insufficient direct evidence of long-term changes in the chemical properties of forest soils to provide information for forestry management plans for sustainable site productivity. To understand changes in the chemical properties of forest soils in a specific high-precipitation climate in Japan, we re-investigated, in 1997, soil pits within a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forest in the Yanase region of Kochi Prefecture which had previously been surveyed in 1976. Comparison of the 1976 and 1997 results revealed significantly lower pH of surface and subsurface soils, and fewer exchangeable cations over time. In contrast, subsoil pH, concentrations of total carbon and nitrogen, and cation-exchange capacity (CEC) had not changed over the 21-year period. Estimation of proton and cation budgets in the forest ecosystem over 21 years, using data for the amounts in soil, biomass accumulation, and input through precipitation, revealed that biomass accumulation did not explain the cation depletion in soils. This suggests that cations were leached from the ecosystem. In contrast with previous reports, which showed Ca accumulation in Japanese cedar forest soils, our results indicated that high precipitation of more than 4,000 mm combined with acid deposition resulted in soil acidification and leaching of cations from soils, following the decrease in base saturation.

Research and Reflections on Zhang Taiyan

Historians generally describe Zhang Taiyan 章太炎 (Binglin 炳麟, 1869–1936) as an anti-Manchu revolutionary and treat his Buddhism as subordinate to this larger political project. Far less commonly understood is Zhang’s role in preparing the groundwork for the establishment of Chinese philosophy as an academic discipline. Against the backdrop of an intellectual climate in Japan and China during the decades either side of 1900, in which a premium had come to be placed on logic as a precondition for the development of philosophy, Zhang was one of the first Chinese intellectuals to follow the lead of Japanese scholars in maintaining that classical Chinese philosophers had developed indigenous forms of logic. Significantly, he further argued that Chinese versions of Yogācāra texts on Buddhist logic and epistemology (yinming 因明; Skt. hetu-vidyā) made it possible once again to gain a proper understanding of China’s earliest writings on logic. In this paper I argue that Zhang sought to establish that early Chinese texts “bear witness” to insights into realities that transcend individual cultures but are most fully and systematically articulated in Yogācāra systems of learning; and that classical Chinese philosopher-sages had attained an awareness of the highest truths, evidence of which can be found in their writings. In short, I will show that Zhang used Yogācāra to affirm the value of “Chinese philosophy” and, in doing so, helped shape its early definition.