1. Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)
PMO Activity in Japan
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)

2. Japanese PMOs Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe;
The top 3 ports visited by the most oceangoing ships in Japan.
Kobe, Nagasaki, Hakodate, Maizuru;
Home ports of JMA R/Vs of Marine Observatories

3. PMO Service
Recruiting and assisting VOSs in coordination between HQ of JMA and PMOs
HQ - National contact
- Cooperation with shipping companies
- Communication with ships through internet, facsimile, magazine, etc.
- Assistance to PMO activities using the intranet etc.
PMO - Direct contact with ships

4. PMO Services By visiting ships,
To supply instructive material (e.g. guides, manuals) as well as weather logbooks etc.
To encourage and give advice on meteorological observations and reports
To check and give advice on meteorological instruments, especially barometers
[Barometers can be checked without visiting by comparison with the observed value of the nearest weather station using facsimile]
To give explanations on meteorological information provided by JMA

5. Weather Reports from Japanese VOSs

6. Barometer Checked ships by PMOs

7. Barometer Correction

8. Barometers Comparison Check through Facsimile
The Form for Barometer Comparison Check through Facsimile
Japan Meteorological Agency
Please use this form to make a request to check your barometer. The request is acceptable when your ship stays in a port of Japan.
After completing the following procedure, transmit this form through facsimile to the nearest observatory listed bellow. The observatory will return the correction value for your barometer. (Business hours are JST from Monday to Friday except public holidays in Japan)
1. Make sure that the wind is not so strong. Strong wind may disturb the barometer reading.
2. Open the window or door of the house to measure outboard air pressure.
3. Reading of the barometer should be made just on the hour.
4. Fill in the following blanks.
　Name of ship 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Port of call　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　Call sign 　　　　　　　Gross tonnage 　　　　　　　tons 　Registry　　　　　　　　　
Name of the person in charge　　　　　 　　　　　
　Ship's telephone No. 　　　　-　　　　　-　　　　　　　
　Facsimile No. of Ship (INMARSAT-A) 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　 (INMARSAT-B) 　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　 (marine TEL.) 　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　
　Name of Your Shipping Agent in Japan (if available) 　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　
Telephone No.　 　　-　　　　　-　　　　　Facsimile No.　 　　-　　　　　-　　　　　

9. Website for PMOs (in Japanese)

10. Website for PMOs (in Japanese)

11. Web Site for VOSs

12. Web Page for Submitting Metadata

13. Improvement Data quality of VOSs
(Example: SST)
　　　　SHIP 　PMO　　　△ｔ　　
15：50　17.0℃　12.3℃　　4.7℃
16： ℃ 12.3℃ ℃
16： ℃ 12.0℃ ℃

14. Instruction Materials

15. Brochures (in Japanese and English)

16. Weather Broadcast (JMH)
Apr. 2004: JMH sending frequencies 6 to 4
Apr. 2005: JMH sending frequencies 4 to 3
Jan : JMA opens website (
FY2006: JMA will change sending frequencies
(Apr. 2005)18220 (Apr. 2004) kHz

17. Security Issues (1): Observation Reports
9/16
9/22

18. Security Issues (2): Japanese VOSs
［ships］
［year］