Frequent "Anomalous" Rainfall in Japan Caused by Rising Temperatures

Hello everyone.

Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."

Thanks for joining us.

In this program, we'll learn Japanese and more about the country from Japanese news stories.

Here in Japan, we're entering the rainy season.

So we've livened up the studio with some umbrellas.

Japan's rainy season is called "tsuyu."

It generally starts in late spring and continues through early summer, depending on the region.

You really can't go anywhere without an umbrella during this season, but, you know, these big ones can definitely be very bulky, and I would definitely forget it somewhere,

so my personal favorite, actually, is this tiny little fold-up umbrella.

And it lives in my bag 365 days a year.

Wow!

Super useful.

I mean, I do the same thing, actually.

Ok. Today's headline is: Frequent "Anomalous" Rainfall in Japan
Caused by Rising Temperatures.

Before we go to the news clip, let's go over some key terms.

"Ijoo na ame"
Anomalous or abnormal rainfall.

"Ame" means "rain," but in the context of today's story, means "rainfall" or "precipitation."

And here are a few terms related to Japan's geography.

"cyuugoku-chihoo"
Chugoku region.

This is the westernmost region, on the island of Honshu, Japan's main island.

We use "chihoo" at the end to differentiate it from "chuugoku," the country of China.

"shikoku"
Shikoku "Shikoku" is also one of Japan's main islands.

"kyuushuu"
Kyushu "Kyushu" is another one of Japan's main islands, located to the southwest.

OK, let's watch the news clip.

A group from the U.S. National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration studied the relationship between
rainfall and global temperatures.

The group fed Japan's precipitation data
from 1977 to 2015 into an AI system.

They then looked at
"anomalous precipitation events" in which rain fell in very large
volumes or over a wide area.

In 1977, there were 6.1 days
of abnormal rainfall, but by 2015, the figure
had approximately doubled.

In the regions of Chugoku, Shikoku,
Kyushu, Amami, and Okinawa, it had roughly tripled.

The group also used a supercomputer to study atmospheric conditions
and ocean temperatures.

They found that the increased frequency
of abnormal rainfall is attributable to the rise in global temperatures
caused by human activity.

Now let's review some sentences from the story.

In 1977, there were 6.1 days of abnormal rainfall,
but by 2015 the figure had approximately doubled.

Now read along with me.

“sen-kyuuhyaku-nanajuu-nana-nen wa ijoo na ame ga roku-ten-ichi-nichi deshita ga

nisen-juugo-nen wa yaku ni-bai ni fuete imashita”

Researchers have found that the frequency of abnormal rainfall in Japan has doubled over a roughly 40-year span.

Japan's climate is influenced by the East Asian Monsoon, a weather system that produces heavy rainfall.

Most of that rainfall is concentrated in "tsuyu," and the typhoon season, which generally lasts from July to October.

The average annual rainfall in Japan is about 1.6 times the global average.

Chiara, what's your experience been of summertime rain in Japan?

I find that it is very very muggy.

There is even a term for it, "jime jime shiteiru."

-"jime jime shiteiru."
-Exactly, to describe this dampness and humidity.

Yes, Japan's rain can be suffocating sometimes.

A little, yeah.

So in Japanese, there are a lot of onomatopoeias, and there's many different ways to describe the texture of rain.

So if it's a really gentle drizzle, that's "shito shito."

If you're starting to feel droplets, that's "potsu potsu."

If it's really pouring, that's "zaa zaa."

Exactly.

All right, now let's move on to the following sentence.

They found that the increased frequency of abnormal rainfall is attributable to the rise in global temperatures caused by human activities.

Now read along with me.

“ningen no katsudoo de chikyuu no kion ga agatta koto ga

ijoo na ame ga fueta
gen-in dato itteimasu” The researchers found that human-induced climate change is largely responsible for the rise in extreme rainfall in Japan.

And all that heavy rain has been triggering life-threatening floods and mudslides across Japan.

Now, let's check in with Tokunaga-sensei to learn some terms that will help us keep up with Japanese weather forecasts and prepare for severe weather.

In weather forecasts, you will hear "ame" used with a modifier
that describes the type of rain.

"Tsuyoi ame" and "hageshii ame"
refer to heavy rain.

Even if you have an umbrella,
you're likely to get wet.

"Hageshii" means "intense,"
something more extreme than normal.

"Mooretsu na ame" refers to
the heaviest kind of downpour.

"Mooretsu" means "fierce" or "driving"
and is even more intense than "hageshii."

When a disaster is likely to occur, the Japan Meteorological Agency
issues a "chuuihoo."

"Chuui-suru" means "be careful"
or "exercise caution."

When the situation is particularly
serious, a "keihoo" is issued.

"Chuuihoo" and "keihoo"
are meant to alert people in order to mitigate disaster.

In the event of "ijoo na ame,"
that is, abnormal rainfall, your life may be in danger.

Be sure to follow advisories
and warnings.

Japan is prone to natural disasters, and you should always be prepared, no matter where you live.

Now, let's find out what people here in Japan do to prepare for extreme rain events.

With deadly torrential rains on the rise, the Japanese government has introduced new disaster prevention guidelines.

It now uses a five-stage warning system to alert residents of emergencies and what actions to take.

Level 1 is an early warning to "stay alert" and "be prepared."

Level 2 includes heavy rain and flood advisories.

At level 3, those who need time to evacuate should do so immediately.

Level 4 is an evacuation order.

Level 5 means disaster is in progress or imminent.

More information is available in 14 languages on the Cabinet Office's website.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo's Adachi Ward, an area particularly vulnerable to heavy rains, the local government has created a new disaster prevention website.

It provides a comprehensive list of resources, and real-time disaster updates - all available in 108 languages.

In the event of a disaster, we need to be able communicate with
non-Japanese speaking evacuees.

So we've just started using
these pocket translators.

We know that evacuation
is a very stressful experience, but we hope to provide
some peace of mind.

Another important tool that many Japanese homes and workplaces have is a disaster supply kit.

That's really fantastic.

It's all the basics you need.

But of course, you shouldn't just rely on this.

You should also make your own preparations as well.

Especially, if you need medicines or things like that, just stock some in advance, just for safety.

And also, consult your local city office's website to learn more about what multilingual resources are available to you.

And the NHK WORLD-JAPAN website also provides disaster related-information in multiple languages.

And that's all for today.

We'll see you next time.

See you soon!