This research paper provided impacts of climate change on social, physical, and biological system in Japan. It also showed mitigation and adapation strategies of climate change.

1. Mizunuma1
Effects of Climate Change in Japan:
Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies
Arisa Mizunuma
May 19th, 2016

2. Mizunuma2
Table Contents
I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………......... 2
Biography…………………………………………………………………….……....……..…3
Climate Change…………………………………………………………………….…...…..…3
II. Climate Change Impacts……………………………………………………………………….3
1. Impacts on Physical System……………………………………………………………….3
Sea Level Rise…......………………………………………………………………………4
Floods……………………………………………………………………………………...4
2. Impacts on Social System…………………………………………………………………5
Heat Stroke………………………………………………………………………………..5
3. Impacts on Biological System……………………………………………………………...5
Cherry Blossom and Acer Leave………………………………………………………….5
III. Mitigation and Adaptation……………………………….……………………………………6
Mitigation Strategies..................................................................................................................6
Adaptation Strategies………………………………………………………………………….7
IV. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….8
V. Referenced Cited……………………………………………………………………………….9
I. Introduction
As greenhouse gas emissions increased due to anthropogenic activities, climate has been
changed in Japan. This paper analyzes climate change in Japan. In the sections of “climate
change impacts” are considered followed by an analysis of climate change impacts on physical
system, biological, and social system in Japan. In the following sections “Mitigation and
Adaptation” shows that mitigation strategies, which are using renewable energy to decrease
greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation strategies to decrease the risk of getting floods. In
Japan, climate change has raised the temperature and the number of heavy rains and it impacts
on physical, social, and biological system. It is required for Japan to adapt and mitigate climate
change to continue to live in Japan.

3. Mizunuma3
Biography
Japan is a country that is part of East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean. Comparing with
the U.S. and Asian mainland, Japan is a quit small island country and the total land scale of
Japan is about 140,000 square miles. Although Japan is a small country, it has a large population.
The current population in Japan is 126,361, 827 and the population rank is 11th. The climate of
Japan is distinguished by four seasons, which are winter, spring, summer, and autumn. In winter
seasons, it is often dry and sunny on the Pacific coast and it is often snow in northern Japan.
Summer begins with three or four weeks of heavy rain season that is significant to grow rice, and
the climate is hot and humid during summer seasons in all of Japan. The average temperature of
Tokyo, which is the capital city of Japan and located on the Pacific coast, is 4.7C (40.4F) in
winter, 18.4C (65.1F) in spring, 26.7C (80.06F) in summer, and 17.3C (63.1F) in autumn.
Annual rainfall averages are nearly 1,530 millimeters (60.2 inches), with wetter summer seasons
and drier winter seasons. Annual greenhouse gas emission of Japan is about 1.3 million metric
tons and it makes Japan the 5th largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions country.
Climate Change
Climate change due to increasing of greenhouse gas emissions is occurring in Japan now.
Average annual temperature has risen by 1.0C over the last century. The number of hot days
(with maximum temperature higher than 35C, 95F) and the number of days with heavy
participation has increased. The frequent and extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones,
heat waves, and heavy rainfall events are projected to increase in the future.
II. Climate Change Impacts
1. Impacts on Physical System
Sea Level Rise
Nowadays, annual rate of sea level rise is 1 to 3 mm in the coastal area of Asia, but in
japan, sea level has been rising 3.3 mm per year since the middle 1980s. Japan has one of the
fastest annual rates of sea level rise of the Asian countries. According to Konishi (2007), the
maximum rate of sea level rise was recorded in Kushiro, which the city located in northern
Japan. Sea levels had increased 9.3mm per year between 1970 and 2003 in Kushiro. Increasing
sea levels threaten Japan’s coastline, which contains a large part of the population and many
economic activities. In Japan, more than 30 million people live within 10 km of the sea (Konishi,

4. Mizunuma4
2007). Although coastal areas are only 32 % of the total land of Japan, they are occupied by 46
% of total population and produce 47 % of industrial output. Sea level rise will decrease the area
of these costal areas in Japan if climate change continues. In fact, the increasing 0.26 m average
sea levels decrease more 40% of Japan’s sandy beach and Japan would lose 90 % of their sandy
beach with 1-meter sea level rise (Figure1) (Harasawa, 2006.)
Figure1: The curve of beach loss late in Japan for the sea level rise of 0 m to 1m.
Flood
The annual participation in Japan varies largely from year to year, and it is not clear what
trends of increases or decreases have been observed. However, the number of days with heavy
rainfall has been increasing due to global warming. Over the last 30 years, the number of heavy
rain days with a daily rainfall of 200 mm has increased to about 1.5 times that of the first 3
decades of the 20th century in Japan (Hamada and et al, 2008). Therefore, the risk of flooding is
rising due to increasing of heavy rainfall days. In the future, floods causes of heavy rainfall are
projected to be about 3 times higher than current levels in Japan (Nomoto, 2013). The Japanese
government explains that climate change has increased frequent and extreme weather disasters
such as floods which impact on Japan’s economy.
2. Impact on Social System
Heat Stroke
Climate change due to increasing of greenhouse gas emissions already affects health in
Japan. As the temperature rise, the risk of getting human heat stroke has been increased since

5. Mizunuma5
2010 (Figure2). Before 2010, the average people who died because of heat stroke was around
about 200 to 300 but it has increase after 2010 because the number of hot days, which is above
35C, have increased since 2010. On July 2015 in Tokyo, more than 24,000 people were taken to
hospitals by ambulance because of heat stroke, and 39 people died (Tsujimoto, 2012). In this
year, the number of people who got heat stroke was larger than usual since this summer’s
temperature was higher than the normal average summer air temperature. The usual average
temperature of July is about 25C in Tokyo but the average temperature on July 2015 was 27C,
and 8 days of this month were recorded at more than 35C (95F). Tsujimoto (20152) shows that
the risk of getting heat stroke increased rapidly if the temperature increased above 28C. Average
annual temperature and the number of hot days (with maximum temperature higher than 35C,
95F) have increased in Japan now especially in urban areas such as Tokyo (Konishi, 2007.)
Although the annual average temperature increases about 1C per century in Japan, it increases
about 3 C over the last century in Tokyo. The average temperature has increased in the other
large Japanese cities, including, Sapporo, Sendai, Kyoto, and Osaka is more than 2 Cover the last
century. Increasing temperature in urban areas is bigger than in suburban areas because of
anthropogenic carbon emissions, subsea vent heat accumulations, and restraint of water
evaporation and transpiration when urban ground is covered with asphalt and concrete. The risk
of getting heat stroke is increased as temperature rises and people who live in urban areas have
more risk than suburban areas.
Figure2: The number of people who died because of heat stroke in Japan 1994 to 2013.

6. Mizunuma6
3. Impacts on Biological System
Cherry Blossom and Acer Leave
Increasing temperature due to climate change impacts on cherry blossoms and Acer
leaves in Japan. In the recent years, cherry blossoms have been flowering earlier than the average
arrival of 20 century, and Acer leaves have started turning their color later than they used to.
Demetriou (2016) shows that cherry blossoms came five days earlier than the average arrivals
days of the last 3 decades in Tokyo in 2009, and it happened because of global warming.
Increasing the average of temperature in Japan make spring arrives earlier and cold season
arrives later. It makes cherry blossom flowering earlier and leaves change their color later.
III. Mitigation and Adaptation
Mitigation Strategies
Annual greenhouse gas emission of Japan is about 1.3 million metric tons and it makes
Japan the 5th largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions country. Carbon emissions due to
human activities are the most important drivers of observed climate change since the industrial
revolution and the frequent and extreme weather events such as heat wave and heavy rainfall will
happen in the future in Japan if greenhouse gas emission levels continue to rise. Japan has to
decrease large amount of carbon emissions in order to mitigate climate change. In 2010,
Japanese government planed to use more nuclear power for Japan’s electricity because nuclear
energy can save large amount of greenhouse gas emissions comparing to other sources such as
oil and natural gas (Figure3 and Figure4). However, the big earthquake attacked Japan in 2011
and the government stopped most of nuclear plants. It made increase greenhouse gas emissions
because Japan used more natural gas and fossil fuel to make up for electricity instead of using
nuclear power. Before the earthquake happened in 2011, nuclear power provided 32 % of
Japan’s electricity, but it decreased to 2 % after the earthquake. To decrease greenhouse gas
emissions, Japan should use renewable energy such as solar and wind power instead of using
new clear power and other powers, which emit lots of carbon emissions such as fossil fuels or
natural gas. Providing electricity from fossil fuels and natural gas emits greenhouse gas
emissions far higher than when using nuclear or renewable power (See Figure3). Japan does not
have fuels for nuclear and other powers and they have to buy these fuels from other countries.

7. Mizunuma7
They can save the cost of fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emission by using renewable energy,
and it is safer than nuclear power.
Figure3: Average GHG Emissions Intensity (GW/h) from Energies
Figure4: Energy use in Japan between 2010 to 2013
Adaptation Strategies
In Japan, anthropogenic climate change make increasing the risk of flooding through
more frequent heavy rainfall and increasing sea level rise. In 2014, Hiroshima City observed an
unanticipated precipitation rate of 101 millimeters per hour, resulting in a massive landslide that
left 75 dead. In 2015, the country experienced a flood disaster caused by heavy rains in the
Kanto and Northeastern region. Therefore, adaptation strategies for flood risk are required in
Japan to reduce negative impacts of climate change. The strategies for floods are building dike,

8. Mizunuma8
developing and maintaining effective early warning systems, and providing a hazard map. The
government has to build dikes besides the river to protect people from water when river levels
are higher than usual because of heavy rainfalls. Japan also has to develop early warming
systems since people can evacuate to the safe place before floods happen if they get early
warning systems. A hazard map is required because people should know where has the higher
risk of flooding.
IV. Conclusion
Climate change is occurring in Japan now. The annual average temperature has increased
over the last century and the number of hot days, which is above 35C(95F), and the number of
heavy rainfall days has increased. These climate changes impact on Japan’s physical, social, and
biological systems. Sea levels have increased and the risk of flooding has risen. The number of
people who died due to heat stroke has increased because of increasing hot days with above 35C.
Cherry blossoms have been flowering earlier and Acer leaves have been turning their color later.
Japan will get more impacts of climate change if they will continue to emit greenhouse gases.
Therefore, Japan has to decrease greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change, and they
should use renewable energy that can reduce carbon emissions. Japan also need to find effective
adaptation strategies for climate change that is happening right now in Japan.

9. Mizunuma9
V. ReferencedCitied
Demetriou, D (2016). Global Warming hits Japan’s cherry blossom season. The telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/globalwarming/5052867/Global-warming-
hits-Japans-cherry-blossom-season.html
Konishi, M. (2008) Nippon Change-Climate Impacts Threating Japan Today and Tomorrow,
WWF
https://www.wwf.or.jp/activities/lib/pdf_climate/environment/WWF_NipponChanges_lores.pdf
Nomoto, T. (2013) Measures to produce national adaptation plan for climate change in Japan.
Global Environment Bureau.
http://www.iges.or.jp/isap/2013/PDF/PL9/first_half/ISAP_PL9_A3_TakuyaNomoto.pdf
Okazumi, T (2008) Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in Japan. Asia Europe meeting.
http://www.mlit.go.jp/river/basic_info/english/pdf/conf_03-0.pdf
Tsujimoto. N. (2012) Climate change and its impact on Japan. Impact assessment of Climate
Change.
https://www.env.go.jp/en/earth/cc/impacts_FY2012.pdf
N.D.(2009) Climate change and Impacts in Japan. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science, and technology.
https://www.env.go.jp/en/earth/cc/report_impacts.pdf
N.D (2016) Climate Change Knowledge Portable. The World Bank Group
http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/index.cfm?page=country_historical_climate&ThisRe
gion=Asia&ThisCCode=JPN