Weather...it's such a passion of mine that I even think about it when I'm on vacation! (Yes, I know I'm a weather geek!) For those of you that don't know, my husband and I recently took a trip to Japan. While we were there, I couldn't help but tune in to a few weather casts. Of course, all I could really do was watch, since I don't know much Japanese except hello, goodbye, and thank you.

7-Day Forecast

I noticed the segments weren't as in-depth as they are here in the states. They didn't show big areas of high pressure, low pressure, or cold fronts, but instead showed forecast highs and lows, and whether it would be sunny, cloudy, or rainy. On some channels the anchor gave the forecast, which I'm glad isn't the case here or I wouldn't have a job!

Japan Meteorological Agency (rooftop)

While we were in Tokyo, I noticed the Japan Meteorological Agency on a sign. I started looking for the building and found it pretty easily...it was the one with the rain gauge and anemometer on top. I checked out the website when we got back and it's actually all in English. It's basically the equivalent of National Weather Service here in the U.S., although we have different regions and they cover the whole country. Their website shows current watches and warnings, weather maps, and forecasts along with much more. You can check it out HERE.

Mascot: The harerun

One more cool thing before I wrap up. The Japan Meteorological Agency has its own icon. It is the harerun, which means fine weather in Japanese. It's actually quite cute as it is a figure composed of sun, clouds, and rain. I think the U.S. National Weather Service needs a cool mascot like that, too!

Sayonara! (That's Japanese for goodbye)

Meteorologist Sonya Stevens