Weather Forecaster Day

What Is Weather Forecaster Day?

Every August 28th is also "Weather Forecaster Day" (気象予報士の日, Kishō Yohōshi no Hi) in Japan. On August 28, 1994, the first national examination for the newly established "weather forecaster" (気象予報士, kishō yohōshi) professional certification was administered — the inaugural test for Japan's system of licensed private-sector weather forecasters, established under the revised Meteorological Service Act. The new system required private weather businesses to have licensed forecasters make their forecasts, as a way to guarantee the technical quality of forecasts issued outside the Japan Meteorological Agency. The first exam had 2,777 examinees, 500 of whom passed -- a pass rate of 18.0%.

Japan's Weather Forecasting System

Japan's official forecasts and warnings are issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (気象庁, Kishōchō). Private companies licensed for forecasting existed before 1994, but the 1993 revision of the Meteorological Service Act required them to have licensed weather forecasters make their forecasts. Today, weather app providers, television stations, agriculture companies, and event organizers employ licensed weather forecasters to provide specialized forecasts for their specific needs.

The Weather Forecaster Examination

Japan's weather forecaster examination is notoriously difficult — with pass rates of around 5% per sitting since the early years, it is one of Japan's most challenging professional certification examinations. Candidates must demonstrate mastery of meteorological theory, data interpretation, weather map analysis, and forecast communication. The examination's difficulty reflects the technical demands of the profession and the public trust implications of weather information that affects safety, agriculture, transportation, and outdoor activities.

Weather and Japanese Life

Weather information has always been critically important in Japan — a country with four distinct seasons, significant typhoon exposure, heavy snowfall regions, and a complex topography that creates highly localized weather patterns. The demand for precise, locally specific weather forecasting — for agriculture, construction, shipping, event planning, and personal decision-making — has made Japan's private weather services sector a significant industry, and the weather forecaster license a valued professional credential.

Fun Facts

• TV weather presenters: Japan's television weather presenters (お天気キャスター, otenki kasutā) are a fixture of morning and evening news broadcasts, combining weather forecaster credentials with on-camera communication skills. Many become recognizable television personalities in their own right.
• Sakura forecasting: Japan's most culturally beloved weather forecast is the annual cherry blossom bloom prediction (桜前線, sakura zensen, "cherry blossom front") — a forecast of the northward progression of cherry blossom opening dates that is followed with intense public interest from late February through May.