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Japan and Antarctica
last update: Jan 18, 2011 04:12 PM
The National Institute of Polar Research NIPR was established in Tokyo on September 29, 1973, as one of the Inter-University Research Institutes of Monbusho (Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture) to develop comprehensive research and observations in the Polar Regions. It is an Inter-University Research Institute and a key institute for implementing of Japanese Antarctic research programs. In 2004, NIPR became a component of the Research Organisation of Information and Systems (ROIS).
The Polar Regions have a great significance in terms of research relating to the earth, the environment, life, space and other fields. NIPR is opening up new frontiers in interdisciplinary research through cutting-edge studies in collaboration with the researcher community under the framework of the Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center (TRIC) at ROIS and various other inter-university research programs.
NIPR participates in joint research projects at Syowa and Dome Fuji Stations in the Antarctic and Ny-Ålesund Station in the Arctic, and also conducts field, marine, aircraft and satellite observations. Advanced studies are performed by examining the Polar Regions as subsystems of the earth, time capsules of the global environment and windows into space, and from the perspective of biodiversity.
Japan's Antarctic research activities began during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) from 1957 to 1958. Over the past 50-odd years, the activities have been growing in scale, content and complexity, and have taken on greater international characteristics. NIPR is now a key player in global observations, participating actively in the programs of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the Asian Forum for Polar Sciences (AFoPS) and other international frameworks. Furthermore, it uses the Intelsat satellite communication system to promote telescience, telemedicine and outreach activities for school and college students.
A number of governmental agencies cooperatively conduct Japanese Antarctic research under the name of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE). All decisions and approval of proposals for research activities rest with the Headquarters of JARE under the chairmanship of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The Secretariat of the JARE Headquarters belongs to the Science and International Affairs Bureau, Monbukagakusho.
The task of NIPR is to operate JARE both for scientific programs and logistics, except the transportation of personnel and materials by the icebreaker Shirase from Japan to Antarctica. Scientific programs at Syowa Station cover the following fields : upper atmosphere physics, meteorology, seismology, gravimetry, geodesy and cartog-raphy, oceanography, glaciology, geology, geography, marine and terrestrial biology, and medical research. Programs offered on board the Shirase include the following subjects : ionosphere, meteorology, geomagnetism, gravimetry, and physical, chemical and biological oceanography.
All Japanese scientific stations in Antarctica belong to NIPR. Syowa Station, the mother station of JARE, was established in January 1957, at 69°00'S and 39°35'E on East Ongul Island, Lutzow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica. The total floor area of the buildings has increased from 184m2 (3 buildings) in 1957 to 5,930.5m2 (48 buildings) and other outdoor facilities in 2001.
Training new researchers is also a major task of the institute. As a parent institute of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), NIPR accommodates graduate students in the Department of Polar Science, School of Multidisciplinary Sciences and is involved in fostering promising researchers with high-level research capabilities and skills for field science.
NIPR relocation to Tachikawa, Tokyo and commission of a new Antarctic research vessel were accomplished in 2009. The Polar Science Museum opened in July 2010.
Functions
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Research activities of the permanent staff cover various scientific disciplines, including upper atmosphere physics, meteorology, glaciology, earth sciences, biological sciences and polar region engineering.
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NIPR is in charge of implementing the scientific and logistics programs of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE), which is under the authority of JARE Headquarters chaired by Monbusho. NIPR is responsible for maintaining four Antarctic stations: Syowa Kiti (Syowa Station) on East Ongul Island, Mizuho Kiti (Mizuho Station), Asuka Kiti (Asuka Station) and Dome Fuji Kiti (Dome Fuji Station) inland.
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NIPR has completed many national and international cooperative projects with research organizations outside the institute. Currently 500 Japanese investigators are affiliated with NIPR.
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NIPR provides postgraduate students with the opportunity to conduct their doctoral thesis research using relevant Antarctic data and analytical facilities.
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NIPR is responsible for collecting, processing and utilizing data and samples obtained by Antarctic and Arctic investigations. The Division of Data Collection and Processing deals with data and specimens in the fields of biology, glaciology and aurora physics. These data and specimens are used for joint research programs with other institutions at NIPR or are distributed to qualified scientists based on advice from advisory committees such as the Antarctic Meteorite Research Committee and Ice Core Research Committee. Aurora data are preserved for the World Data Center for Aurora. The Information Science Center is equipped with powerful data processing facilities, a Multipurpose Satellite Data Receiving System, and a polar information retrieval system. The Arctic Environment Research Center operates an Arctic field laboratory in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.
The Center for Antarctic Environment Monitoring is studying the Antarctic environmental system in conjunction with the global system. NIPR newly established an Antarctic Meteorite Research Center in 1998. The library is responsible for collecting literature relevant to polar research. It also publishes about 3,000 pages of scient ific papers annually. -
Permanent members of NIPR represent various national and international polar research organizations. NIPR established and continues to operate national Antarctic data centers for aurora, biology, glaciology, solid earth geophysics, geology, upper atmosphere physics and logistics in cooperation with Working Groups of SCAR(Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) of the International Council of Scientific Unions.
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NIPR invites visiting professors and provides research fellowships for visiting investigators from abroad. In addition, each year NIPR invites several scientists from abroad to participate in its annual symposia.
Source:
National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR)
