The First Instrumental Meteorological Observation at Kobe
Masaya NAKATSU
Kobe University, Faculty of Cross-Cultural Studies
C/o Research Group on Historical Climatology
1-2-1 Tsurukabuto, Nada-ku,
Kobe-city, 657-8501,Japan
1,Introducton
When we speak about the environmental problem, we cannot avoid mentioning the
issue of “Global Warming”. As one of the causes, we can quote the emission of CO2
because of the combustion of combustible fossil.
Kobe research group of Professor Tsukahara tries to approach this problem from the
view-point of history. Our strategy is to collect, analyze and compare the meteorological
data in the period of 19th century when modern instrumental meteorological
observation started in Japan. In this way, it is true that there are many of difficulties
to find historical document or to fix the criterion at the time of analyzing the data.
However, the comparison them with current data can be very useful and effective way
when we treat issues that immediate solution is asked on.
I hope that this research will full in our previous one. On the research of this type, it
is needed to find out and collect the meteorological data that are found in historical
documents as many and long as possible in order to obtain a more precise result.
2,Brief review of history on the instrumental meteorological observation at Kobe
So far as we know, the oldest document concerning meteorological observation taken
by the Japanese is “Reikenkoubo (霊験候簿)” in that we can see the meteorological data
from 1838 to 1854.
meteorological observatory was made in 1875 at Akasaka Aoi-cho as first governmental
office, and the meteorological stations were made one after another in Japan: at
Misima, Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
So now, the meteorological observations at Kobe are done at the meteorological
observatory of Kobe near from bay of Kobe. Its origin goes back to 1896 when
meteorological station of Kobe was established. The meteorological station was
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constructed at Kobe-shi chuo-ku. The observations were done there for 24 years, until
1920. The meteorological observatory of Kobe was constructed on the place of that
station and was transferred to its present place because of the earthquake of the region
of Hanshin in 1995. Those meteorological data observed from 1897 to now consist of the
observation of the temperature or of the quantity of pain etc… at each place of Hyogo
Prefecture.
This is general history of meteorological observation at Kobe. But at this research, the
historical document and data of meteorological observation that we found must give a
new page in this history of meteorological observation at Kobe. Because these
meteorological data were being observed 27 years earlier than 1896, when the
meteorological station of Kobe was made. That is found in a newspaper in English
what was being published then at Kobe. From the point of historical view, I cannot
miss the importance of this historical fact, gap of the time for 20 years.
At first, I would like to write about historical background of that newspaper whose
name is “Hiogo-News” and that we used as first literature.
3, Historical background of “Hiogo-News”
Hiogo-News was published, for the first time, on the April 23rd of 1868 by one
Portuguese, Filomeno Braga who was living at Kobe. Then, there were already many of
foreigners at Kobe, so it was natural that there was a great demand of newspapers in
English. In latter half of 19th century, the newspapers in English were being published
in the international cities of Japan (for example, at Nagasaki “Nagasaki-Express”, at
Yokohama “Japan Herald”, ”Japan Gazette”, and “Japan Mail”). Braga was
typographer of “Hiogo and Osaka Herald” at Osaka before coming to Kobe. After the
first publication, the administrators follow one another, L. J. da. Silva, James. E.
Wainwright, W. J. Johnson. The building of office is that of “Nihon Yusen” now.
4,Data of meteorological observation found in “Hiogo-News”
and Discovery of that of John Marshall
In that Hiogo-News, we discovered the data of meteorological observations from 1869.
The year of the first publication, in 1869, content of the data is “Thermometer”,
“Barometer”, “Wind” and “Remarks”. And also, it is written “These observations made
at 12m daily”, we can know that it was the regular and stationary meteorological
observations. After that, until the December 28th of 1876, that content remains the
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same. But after that day, the content changes so much. As for the temperature, the
difference between “Dry” and “Wet”, maximum and minimum temperature appears. As
for the pressure, the correction to 0 meter above sea level is done. And the description
of the quantity of rain begins. That form of description continues until the data of the
paper of the December 4th of 1888 that we can read.
When we research the data of meteorological observations of that period, the observer,
the place of observation and the instrument of observation are very important factors
to corroborate its precision but, in fact, it is so difficult to discover them. At this time,
thanks to the investigation to the meteorological observatory of Kobe, we discovered
and read a book whose name is “Meteorological Report Jan.6.1877-Jury.20.1887”
conserved at meteorological observatory of Kobe. We could corroborate the factors what
I said above and make precise hypotheses.
The style of description, the period of observation and the numerical data in that
document accord with those of Hiogo-News. So, I confirmed that the person who made
the data of Hiogo-News is who wrote that book. The observer who wrote that book is
named John. Marshall. He is English born in Germany on the August 5th of 1833. He
came to Kobe on the February 4th of 1872 from Yokohama and, from that year, worked
as “Harbor Master” for 17 years. And he died on August 7th of 1887 at Kobe.
As for the style of description of both documents is the same. For example, the period
of observation, the observed data of “Meteorological Report” finishes on the July 20th of
1887, that is 17 days before of the August 7th of 1887, the day when J. Marshall died,
and the data in Hiogo-News finishes at the same date.
5-A, Place of observation
Concerning about the place of observation, it is written “Lat 34.41.36N Lon
135.11.10E” in Hiogo-News from the date of April 15th of 1876 and the Meteorological
Report. I looked for that point and area. However, those figures indicate an area too
large, so it is not possible to determine one certain place as point of observation,
although, it is sure that the port of Kobe is in that area. I can say that Marshall did
those observations somewhere in the port of Kobe.
The situation of that point of observation is very important to analyze and use those
data scientifically. For example, the difference that meteorological observation is done
outside or inside of house is one of the factors inevitable to get a result more precise.
Now, we usually think that meteorological observation inside of house is impossible,
but at that time, it could happen.
In the data, in Hiogo-News of the July 27th of 1888, it is written “Taken in the
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SHADE(Open Air)” in an article that gives the comparison of maximum and minimum
temperature of each month from 1876 to 1888.
5-B, Instruments of observation
The instruments of observation are not mentioned in Hiogo-News, nor is in
Meteorological Report. But the instruments that were being used at observatory at
first period of Meiji were from England, made at the Company of Kasera and
authorized by the meteorological observatory of Kew. So I think that Marshall used
that kind of instruments too. The barometer is mercury barometer, the thermometer is
that of stick and the rain gauge is the English cylinder of 8 inches. The fabrication of
those instruments in Japan begun at the end of 19th century.
6, Meteorological observation after Marshall
About the Meteorological Report and J. Marshall, the report of Mr. Kakehashi talks
about its summary. By that report, after Marshall died, J. J. Mahlmann, who is
English born in Australia on the November 17th of 1838, succeed him. He came to Kobe
in 1872 and was working to construct the port of Kobe with Marshall. And that report
says “Mahlmann also may have done meteorological observation but I do not know
where his data is”. But I believe that the data in Hiogo-News from the July 3rd of 1888
are by Mahlmann because in the paper of the July 4th 1888, there is an article titled
“Table showing Rainfall at Kobe from January 1876 to December 1886 and during the
first six months in 1887 and 1888” and at the end of that article, it is written
“J.J.MAHLMANN Harbor Master”.
7, Meaning of this study
The one of the causes of problem of Global Warming is that, by the overabundant
evacuation of CO2, the layer of CO2 covers the earth, the earth warmed by the sun
cannot let escape that heat and the elevation of the temperature happens. This story
has become general as even those who are not specialist know about it very much.
From this point of view, we can find its expansion and gravity but I hope that this
discovery of historical data can bring some suggestion or some help to understand this
problem exactly. It is true that there are some doubts on their authenticity because of
their oldness of more 100 years.
But, if we can analyze them scientifically, it can be possible. Even if the data are those
of 100years ago, the data treated through good way can have the scientific value,
comparing them with those of now (observed by modern instruments ), we can analyze
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the change of temperature or climate. However, special knowledge to treat them is
needed. So I think that we have to entrust the analysis of the field of natural science to
its specialist. It is clear that each specialist has each work. If I say it on the contrary,
even if it is the leading light of a certain academic field, we can call him/her “amateur”
on other fields. I hope that this study will be inter-academic between natural science
and human science. The academic exchange brings good or exact result because we can
see and discuss it from different and various points of view.
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