Forecasting Service Licensing
Please send consultations regarding license applications by email.
- The Japanese version of this website
(In the event of any inconsistency between the Japanese and English versions of these pages, the Japanese version shall prevail.)
What is Forecasting Service Licensing?
If a business operator other than the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) intends to perform forecasting services for meteorological phenomena, high waves, or other covered phenomena, they must obtain a license from the Director-General of JMA in accordance with Article 17 of the Meteorological Service Act.
In Japan, natural disasters such as typhoons, torrential rains, cool summers and droughts, earthquakes and tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions occur frequently. As a result, the lives of the public and corporate activities are closely tied to nature and its changes. With economic development and the increasing severity and frequency of disasters, information on meteorological phenomena is playing an ever more important role. If forecasts lacking a technical basis were widely disseminated in society, they could cause confusion and damage, undermining safety and security in daily life. For this reason, forecasting services in Japan are subject to a licensing system.
JMA conducts technical examinations of those intending to perform forecasting services to ensure that users can utilize meteorological services with confidence. Even after a license is granted, JMA provides ongoing oversight to ensure the technical reliability of forecasting services.
When companies or individuals perform forecasting services, such as weather forecasts for Japan, to users within Japan, a license is required regardless of whether the business operator is located inside or outside Japan.
※ The maximum coverage area for forecasts requiring a license is the entirety of Japan on land, and at sea, the overall marine forecast area of JMA (the sea area bounded by the lines of longitude 180 degrees east on the east, longitude 100 degrees east on the west, latitude 0 degrees south, and latitude 60 degrees north on the north).
※ For the application of the Meteorological Service Act to foreign corporations, organizations and individuals performing forecasting services, please refer to the following:
- Guidelines on Application of the Meteorological Service Act to Foreign Corporations, Organizations, and Individuals Performing Forecasting Services［PDF: 104KB］
(For references to ‘Article 53 of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Meteorological Service Act’ and ‘Standards for the Publication of Names, etc., pursuant to Article 42-2 of the Meteorological Service Act concerning Forecasting Service Licensing’, please refer to the draft of the Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the examination standards, which are due to be amended. * Links to e-Gov - the official web portal of Government of Japan.)
Guidebook for Performing Forecasting Services
If you are considering obtaining a license for forecasting services for the first time, or if you have questions such as “I would like to obtain a license for forecasting services, but I am not sure what exactly is subject to licensing,” please refer to the following:
Legal Basis for Forecasting Service Licensing
For the legal provisions that serve as the basis for forecasting service licensing (including approvals for changes), please refer to the following:
- Meteorological Service Act (Tentative translation) (Ministry of Justice website)
- Registration and License Tax Act (excerpt) (in Japanese)
Examination Standards and Related Matters for Forecasting Service Licensing
To obtain a license, it is necessary to meet the standards for licensing specified in Article 18 of the Meteorological Service Act, such as having the facilities and staff members required for the proper collection and analysis of forecasting data necessary to carry out forecasting services appropriately. In the case of applications by foreign corporations, etc., it is necessary—just as with domestic operators—to clarify responsibility and designate a domestic representative or domestic agent, so that JMA can ensure thorough guidance and supervision.
For the examination standards (including approvals for changes), standard processing periods, and disposition standards related to forecasting service licensing, please refer to the following:
- Examination Standards, Standard Processing Periods, and Disposition Standards for Forecasting Service Licensing (in Japanese)
Staffing of Certified Weather Forecasters and Their Services
A Certified Weather Forecaster, a national qualification in Japan, is an individual whose capability has been verified by JMA through successful completion of an examination. Such individuals possess the ability to appropriately utilize advanced forecasting data—such as numerical prediction materials provided by JMA—conduct forecasts that take into account Japan’s meteorological characteristics, including the effects of complex terrain, and verify the results of those forecasts.
Pursuant to Article 19-2 of the Meteorological Service Act, when conducting forecasting services for meteorological phenomena and terrestrial phenomena (excluding earthquake ground motions, volcanic phenomena, and landslides), the prediction of phenomena must be carried out by a Certified Weather Forecaster using scientific methods (physical, statistical, or kinematic methods) appropriate to the scope of the forecasting services and the forecasting data to be used. For each business office, the required number of personnel is determined based on the daily duration of predictions to be performed, and at least one full-time Certified Weather Forecaster must be assigned.
In addition, when performing forecasting services involving phenomena related to meteorological phenomena (landslides, storm surges, high waves, and floods), if the business operator independently predicts the meteorological inputs (including cases where numerical forecast models or guidance provided by JMA are used as inputs for meteorological prediction), it is necessary to assign a Certified Weather Forecaster and have them perform the meteorological predictions.
However, if certain conditions are met—such as the use of forecasting methods calculated by scientific techniques pre-validated by a Certified Weather Forecaster and subsequent verification by a Certified Weather Forecaster—the requirement for staffing may still be satisfied even if the forecaster is not actively engaged in predictions during all operational hours. For specific staffing requirements, please refer to the following:
Certified Weather Forecasters affiliated with licensed business operators also serve as technical liaisons with JMA during the examination of license applications and periodic inspections conducted after licensing, particularly regarding forecasting methods and accuracy. In addition, because they possess knowledge of Japan’s meteorological information for disaster risk reduction issued by government agencies, they enable licensed business operators to provide forecasting services that are consistent with meteorological information for disaster risk reduction.
Certified Weather Forecasters need not be limited to a company’s own employees; they may also be assigned through worker dispatch agreements, outsourcing contracts, or other arrangements with third parties. Furthermore, Certified Weather Forecasters may perform forecasting services remotely from their homes or other locations outside the business office via remote access environments.
For more details on Certified Weather Forecasters, please refer to the following:
- About Certified Weather Forecasters (in Japanese)
Conditions Attached to Forecasting Service Licensing
For the conditions attached to forecasting service licensing (including approvals for changes), please refer to the following:
Examination Standards and Related Matters for Confirmation of the Use of Supplementary Observations in Forecasting Services
For the examination standards, standard processing periods, and disposition standards related to confirmation for the use of supplementary observations in forecasting services, please refer to the following:
Guide to Applications for Forecasting Service Licensing
For procedures required to obtain a forecasting service license (including approvals for changes), please refer to the following documents.
※ Applications should, in principle, be prepared in Japanese. If original documents are prepared in a foreign language and must be submitted as such, a Japanese translation must be attached.
Frequently Asked Questions about Forecasting Service Licensing
For frequently asked questions about forecasting service licensing, please refer to the following:
- Frequently Asked Questions about Forecasting Service Licensing for Meteorological Phenomena and Terrestrial Phenomena (excluding earthquake ground motions, volcanic phenomena, and landslides) (in Japanese)
- Frequently Asked Questions about Forecasting Service Licensing for Earthquake Ground Motions (in Japanese)
- Frequently Asked Questions about Forecasting Service Licensing for Other Phenomena (in Japanese)
Documents on Licensed Business Operators
For a list of licensed business operators, please refer to the following:
Materials from training sessions conducted for licensed business operators are also available:
- Training Materials, etc. (in Japanese)
In relation to the Act on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities, the following outlines expected responses from licensed business operators and others:
Contact for Forecasting Service Licensing Inquiries
Public-Private Engagement Division, Information Infrastructure Department, Japan Meteorological Agency
Email: jma_suishin★met.kishou.go.jp (replace “★” with “@”)