i42 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Central Meteorological Observatory is published in foreign languages. 

 This contains the results of investigations of meteorological and allied 

 problems. 



Turning from the practical to the educational side of meteorology 

 in Japan, we find that in the College of Science of the Tokyo Imperial 

 University a chair for meteorology has recently been established in the 

 department of physics. In the College of Agriculture of the same uni- 

 versity Professor Diro Kitao has been giving excellent lectures on 

 meteorology for the last twenty years. Lectures on the same subject are 

 also given by Professor Goto at Tokyo Higher Normal School, by Pro- 

 fessor Baba at Tokyo Navigation School, by Professor Y. Wada at the 

 Naval School and by Dr. Inagaki at Moriaka Higher Agricultural 

 School. It is also to be understood that meteorology is taught in all 

 other schools of agriculture, navigation, commerce and technology, as 

 well as in military and naval academies. At the Central Meteorological 

 Observatory a temporary school is opened every year for the training 

 of meteorological observers at provincial stations. The term of this 

 school is usually six months, during which period are given courses of 

 lectures on meteorology, seismology, physics, instruments and methods. 

 This temporary school has been an important factor for securing a 

 uniformity and a higher standard in the attainments of observers. 



The most convincing evidence of the popular interest in our science 

 is the fact that Japan has supported the Meteorological Society of 

 Japan for more than twenty years. We understand that meteorology 

 has no recognized place in such a popular gathering as the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, and that the American 

 Meteorological Journal was long since discontinued. The Meteorolog- 

 ical Society of Japan is composed of two hundred and sixty-four active 

 members, only three being honorary. This society publishes a monthly 

 journal, partly in Japanese and partly in foreign languages. At its 

 general meetings held annually in May meteorological papers are read 

 and discussed. 



So much for Japan's contributions to practical meteorology and its 

 diffusion. Now let us examine what has been done by Japanese meteor- 

 ologists for theoretical meteorology. Any one who has paid close atten- 

 tion to meteorology must be aware that the progress of this science lags 

 far behind that of some other physical sciences. Within a century the 

 world has seen astronomy, physics, chemistry and other well recognized 

 sciences emerge from their previous uncertain and indefinite condition ; 

 but meteorology is at present inchoate, and its ascertained facts are too 

 scanty to allow of organizing any system of fundamental principles. 

 Fifteen years ago, von Helmholtz turned his attention to the hydro- 

 dynamics of the atmosphere, but, so far as meteorology is concerned, 

 this great man left his work unfinished. Eecently theoretical researches 

 have been undertaken by von Bezold, Neuhoff, Brillouin, Pockels, 



