Climatological Study of Urban Climate and Heat and Cold Mortalities in Japan

This book describes observed features of urban climate and its long-term variations as well as the relationship of climate to heat stroke in Japan, based on observational data and statistical analyses. Consisting of three parts, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals involved with these topics. Part 1 focuses on urban climate. The basic characteristics of heat islands are reviewed, and long-term urban warming is described with a focus on the distinction from global warming. The influence of microscale environmental changes on the observed temperature is also presented, as well as changes in wind and precipitation in urban areas. They deepen our understanding of the features and mechanisms of urban heat islands and their long-term changes. Part 2 describes the climatological features of heat stroke mortality, which has become a major social problem in Japan, using mortality statistics and meteorological data. The spatial and temporal variations of heat stroke mortality are analyzed quantitatively on various spatial and temporal scales. In addition, the number of ambulance transports is examined as another measure of heat stroke casualty. The results provide insight into the climatological factors related to heat stroke mortality and contribute to the implementation of preventive measures. The climatology of deaths from extreme cold is also presented. For supplementary information, an overview of the geography, climate, and meteorological data of Japan is presented in Part 3.



Fumiaki Fujibe received his Doctor of Science degree in 1983. He conducted statistical research on local and urban meteorology at the Meteorological Research Institute in Japan. Since the start of the 2000s, he has studied urban climate change. Beginning in the 2010s, he has investigated mortality due to extreme high and low temperatures at Tokyo Metropolitan University from a climatological viewpoint. He was a board member of the Meteorological Society of Japan (MSJ) and the Heat Island Institute International, and he served as the editor-in-chief of Tenki, the Japanese Journal of the MSJ from 2007 to 2018.