By FUMIKO YOSHIGAKI/ Staff Writer
January 15, 2022 at 07:10 JST
A deformed sun observed at Lake Komukeko in Monbetsu, Hokkaido, in summer (Provided by the Kitami Institute of Technology)
KITAMI, Hokkaido--Rare natural phenomena make Hokkaido in the far north a special place to visit.
But knowing in advance when they will occur is another matter altogether.
Local researchers hope to predict mirages, sea of cloud events and odd-shaped suns, as well as diamond dust, frost flowers and “jewelry ice” formations, and provide information on a dedicated website to promote tourism.
A team led by Kazutaka Tateyama, an associate professor of glaciology and oceanography at the Kitami Institute of Technology here, is working to predict dates and times when such phenomena are expected by analyzing remotely collected meteorological data and accumulated records.
The team will install more than 10 cameras, two meteorographs and four thermometers in the Hama-Koshimizu, Utoro and Shiretoko districts, the Rebunto and Rishirito islands and other areas in the Okhotsk and Soya regions by the end of March.
It intends to provide long-term predictions to assist tourists from faraway regions planning trips to the nation’s northernmost main island.
“Our aim is to increase the probability of encountering rare natural phenomena and make it a springboard for tourism in Hokkaido after the novel coronavirus pandemic,” Tateyama said.
Researchers said they have accurately predicted the occurrences of mirages and odd-looking suns seven times out of eight since February 2021.
When a sea of clouds appeared at the Tsubetsu pass and over Lake Mashuko in eastern Hokkaido, they managed to shoot footage in high-definition 4K video.
A website called Shiretoko Portal was set up on a trial basis to provide predictions of mirage occurrences. Meteorological data, camera footage and other information from selected areas are available for viewing.
If the team can secure funding, cameras with a thermometer, a meteorograph and other built-in equipment will be installed at 20 locations annually from fiscal 2022 to continue observations.
The proposed sites include the Tokachigawa and Tokorogawa rivers for jewelry ice formations and the town of Rikubetsu for diamond dust.
Researchers plan to set up cameras at points across Hokkaido that boast one-of-a-kind natural phenomena.
To attract tourists, they will use virtual reality video footage of rare natural phenomena and provide transportation tips on how to get to each destination.
The research constitutes one of the model tourism projects to be pursued by a national university organization in Hokkaido, which will be formed in April through the merger of the Kitami Institute of Technology, the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and the Otaru University of Commerce.
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