Charting Software
New pec is a Japan-specific charting software developed by the Japan Hydrographic Association. Although available as a laptop version or built in to various chartplotters, the best version is new pec smart, an iPad/iPhone or Android app. It is great!! It has MUCH better detail than the Japan charts on CMAP, Navionics, and OpenCPN and comes with a LOT of very useful bells and whistles. Once you use it, you can't imagine cruising without it and will wonder why the same template has not been applied to overseas charts. Unfortunately, though, it's only available on the Japan stores for Apple and Google Play, is only in Japanese, and only accepts Japanese payment methods, so accessing and using it involves overcoming many hurdles. To help overcome those hurdles, Konpira Consulting offers comprehensive support for new pec smart, including providing a user license, an initial tutorial on how to use new pec smart, and ongoing assistance. For more information, contact us.
Charts and Other Information
Order them through the website of the Japan Hydrographic Association. In addition to all the small-scale charts for your cruising area (as a minimum), we especially recommend buying charts showing the location of fixed fishing nets ("set-net charts") and, for those planning on cruising in Japan for a long time, the S-Guides (books with chartlets for almost all Japanese ports; no longer available in book form but one can pay for a download and then print it out). Note, though, that if you have new pec (see above) then you don't need anything else, except whatever paper charts you desire for your own peace of mind.
Current Estimates (Offshore)
To see what's happening with the offshore currents (especially the strong Kuroshio Current), click on the box that says "海流図" on the top page of this website.
Current Estimates – Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department at Japan Coast Guard
Current Calculations (Tidal)
Tide Calculations
The tide prediction map (all Japan)Typhoons
Monitoring the development and movement of a typhoon, and finding a safe place to sit out a typhoon, is an important part of cruising Japan safely.
The U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center generally provides the earliest and best forecasts.
Joint Typhoon Warning Center – Naval Oceanography Portal
The Japan Meteorological Agency has recently upgraded its forecast capabilities and so is now also an excellent source of information.
Tropical Cyclone Information – Japan Meteorological Agency
Typhoon 2000 shows the track forecasts for a typhoon from all the official weather agencies in northeast Asia.
Integrated Multi-Agency Tropical Cyclone Forecast
Historic information on all the typhoons to have hit northeast Asia can be found at this website.
Weather Forecasts
Far and away the best source for weather forecasts in Japan is GPV. It is, unfortunately, only available in Japanese, but a Japanese friend can probably help you figure it out or Konpira Consulting offers a start-up tutorial and ongoing support.
Weather-GPV.info