A healthy and resilient ocean

Promoting polar research

Period: From 1955
Organizations: National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Hokkaido University, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, Japan Meteorological Agency, Japan Coast Guard), Ministry of Defense, The University of Marine Science and Technology and others

There is a substantial need in society to understand the system of climate changes globally and predict future weather patterns with high accuracy. In recent years, it has become clear that the state of the atmosphere and ocean in both polar regions has a substantial impact on the weather of places like Japan that lie in the middle latitudes. In this age of human activities spanning the entire globe, observations of the polar regions, geographically isolated, are essential, and this importance is expected to become more significant.
For this reason, Antarctic research has been continuously implementing long-term research and observational activities by taking advantage of unique characteristics of the Antarctic, where the impact of human actions is exceedingly low. In the oceanographical study, joint observations conducted with the Shirase, an Antarctic observation vessel, and Umitaka-maru, an ocean survey vessel, have allowed us to continuously survey the ocean environment, such as concerning ocean acidification which is an especially prevalent issue in the polar regions.
In the Arctic region, a place where the impact of global warming is very apparent, such as in terms of the rapid decline of sea ice, has become most pronounced in recent years, researches on upgrading and refining meteorological and climatic predictions and strategically working on cultivating human resources and disseminating information are carried on through the Arctic Challenge for Sustainability II (ArCS II).
Moreover, an Arctic research vessel with ice-breaking capabilities that will allow it to be used to observe sea ice areas in the Arctic Ocean is to be built and operated as an international research platform for the Arctic region. Research in the polar regions will thereby be pursued through such initiatives.

Image of a completed Arctic research vessel
Polar research acceleration project
Source: What is ArCS II? (National Institute of Polar Research, https://www.nipr.ac.jp/arcs2/about/)