Yuji Wada

Meteorologist. Born in Nihonmatsu (Fukushima Prefecture). Graduated from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo in 1879 (Meiji 12), he joined the Surveying Division of the Geographical Bureau of the Ministry of the Interior in the same year, where he was in charge of meteorology in addition to geodesy and celestial observation, and was involved in the creation of storm warnings and weather forecasts in Japan. In 1885, he became head of the Forecasting Division at the Central Meteorological Observatory, and in 1904 (Meiji 37) when the Russo-Japanese War began, he was ordered by the government to travel to Korea, where he set up meteorological observation stations throughout Korea and Manchuria (northeastern China), and made a great contribution to military operations. While in Korea, he published in French (1910) a record of meteorological observations using rain gauges that had been carried out since the 15th century by the Yi Dynasty, and the following year, in 1911, this was translated into English and became world famous. He retired and returned to Japan in 1915 (Taisho 4), and thereafter made pioneering achievements in river flood surveys and ocean current surveys near Japan using ocean current bottles.

[Nemoto Junkichi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

気象学者。二本松（福島県）の生まれ。1879年（明治12）東京大学理学部物理学科を卒業、同年内務省地理局測量課に入り、測地、天測のかたわら気象を担当、日本の暴風警報、天気予報の創始にあたった。1885年中央気象台予報課長となり、1904年（明治37）日露開戦に際し、官命により朝鮮に渡り、朝鮮および満州（中国東北部）各地に気象観測所を設け、軍事行動に多大の功績を収めた。在朝鮮中、15世紀以来行われた李朝(りちょう)の雨量計による気象観測についての記録をフランス語で発表（1910）、翌1911年これが英語訳され、世界的に有名になる。1915年（大正4）勇退して帰国し、その後は河川の出水調査、海流瓶による日本近海の海流調査などに関し、創始者的な業績を残した。

［根本順吉］

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