| Year | Event |
| 1875 | Tokyo Meteorological Observatory (TMO), predecessor of JMA, established within the Ministry of Interior. |
| 1883 | The first weather map issued. |
| 1884 | The first national weather forecast issued. |
| 1884 | Nation-wide seismic intensity observations started. |
| 1887 | TMO renamed the Central Meteorological Observatory (CMO). |
| 1895 | CMO transferred to the Ministry of Education. |
| 1921 | Oceanographic and marine meteorological observations began. |
| 1922 | Meteorological Expert Education School, predecessor to the Meteorological College, established. |
| 1930 | Aviation weather service started. |
| 1938 | Radiosonde upper-air observations started. |
| 1943 | CMO transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunication. |
| 1945 | CMO placed under the Ministry of Transport (MOT). |
| 1953 | Japan joined the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). |
| 1954 | Weather radar observations started. |
| 1956 | CMO became JMA, an affiliate agency of the Ministry of Transport. |
| 1959 | Numerical weather predictions started. |
| 1969 | Automated Data Editing and Switching System (ADESS) established. |
| 1974 | Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS) established. |
| 1977 | GMS-1, JMA's first geostationary meteorological satellite launched. |
| 1991 | Seismic intensity meters observations started. |
| 1993 | Meteorological Service Act revised to establish Certified Weather Forecasters System. |
| 2001 | JMA placed under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT*). |
Meteorological services in Japan were initiated in 1875 by the Tokyo Meteorological Observatory (TMO) - part of the Ministry of the Interior. TMO was renamed the Central Meteorological Observatory (CMO) in 1887, and was transferred to become part of the Ministry of Education in 1895. In 1956, CMO became an affiliate agency of the Ministry of Transport (MOT) under the name of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). In January 2001, MOT was reorganized into the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT*).
JMA now serves as one of the most advanced and leading National Meteorological Services in the world, assuming both national and international responsibilities.
(* MLIT was reorganized into the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in January 2008.)