福島との意外なつながり　大手民間気象会社「ウェザーニューズ」ってどんな会社？？

This is Fukushima TV's official news channel. Please subscribe to our channel and stay up-to-date with the latest news from Fukushima Prefecture. #Fukushima #News Weathernews is a private weather company that operates Japan's most popular weather app. The inspiration behind this popular service, boasting 50 million downloads, dates back to a tragic maritime accident that occurred in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, over 50 years ago. "If only detailed weather information had been available, this disaster could have been prevented." This heartfelt sentiment from the founder led to the creation of a company that is now at the forefront of providing weather information in Japan. ■Japan's No. 1 Weather App The headquarters of Weathernews, a major private weather company, is located in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture. Our guide was Kiyone Egawa. She is also the anchor for the YouTube channel "Weathernews LiVE," which provides weather forecasts and disaster prevention information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is primarily responsible for public relations. But what kind of company is Weathernews? Weathernews Public Relations Officer Kiyone Egawa explains, "Weathernews operates a weather app called 'Weathernews,' which provides weather forecasts to the general public." The app has been downloaded 50 million times, making it the most widely used weather app in Japan. Weathernews not only provides weather apps, but also weather information for shipping, railway companies, and airlines, as well as broadcasting stations and convenience stores. ■The Fusion of Man and Machine The Forecast Center is at the heart of this. How do they actually make forecasts? Kimutake Nishishiba of the Weathernews Forecast Center explains, "We use a proprietary model of compass, which corrects the forecast in 1-kilometer increments and provides it to local residents in 1-kilometer increments." In addition, Weathernews also distributes weather icons and text information based on the weather reports received. On this day, a winter-type atmospheric pressure pattern caused "fauny clouds" to form along the Sea of ​​Japan coast. Tornado warnings are issued based not only on computer data but also on information from users. Weather forecasts are truly a fusion of man and machine. ■The Tragedy of the Sorako Maru The impetus for the creation of Weathernews was an accident that occurred in Fukushima Prefecture. Weathernews PR Officer Egawa explains, "It all started with a maritime accident that occurred in Iwaki City in 1970." January 1970. A cyclone, with a pressure drop of 32 hectopascals in 24 hours, approached Fukushima Prefecture. The cargo ship Sorako Maru sank in Onahama Port. 15 of the 24 crew members were killed. The person coordinating the Sorako Maru's operations was Weathernews founder Hiroyoshi Ishibashi. He was 23 years old at the time and working for a general trading company. Public Relations Officer Egawa said, "At the time, detailed weather information was hard to come by. I believed that if such a service existed, if information could be accessed at hand, tragic accidents could have been prevented. So, with the desire to protect the lives of sailors and to be of service to people in times of emergency, I created Weathernews." After the accident, Ishibashi moved to a marine weather company and founded Weathernews in 1986. ■ Inherited Spirit One of the weather forecasters born at Weathernews is Fukushima Television's weather forecaster, Yasunori Saito. Saito said, "Ishibashi of Weathernews always said, 'The future of forecasting is grassroots. Don't look down on others. You create it together with everyone. It's everyone's weather station,' and I put that into practice. Ishibashi has passed away, but his spirit as the founder lives on, and that's why I'm doing what I do at Fukushima Television." Ishibashi's spirit is passed down to Saito. "Fuku Tere Sora Net" will continue to provide weather forecasts based on information from viewers.