Tokyo Amesh

  Butterflies in Japan

This dragon fly is very familiar for Japanese people. It also appears in Japanese children's song. We can see so many Red Dragonflies after the day when typhoon has passed away. We have many typhoons here in '97. Typhoon season of Japan is usually in fall. But in this year, in the west southern part of Japan, many typhoons came and gave large damages. Though Japanese fall is from September to November, in this year typhoons came to Japan from the beginning of August.

The photo above is Shiokara Dragonfly(Orthetrum albistylum speciosum). This one can usually be seen during summer in Japan. Japanese summer season is from June to August. TV news had told us that the summer in this year would be cold one because of the influence of El Nino( the rise of sea water temperature in the offing of Peru). But the Japanese summer in this year was not cold one nor cool one.

By the way, I want to tell you about the relations between butterfly and weather. There is a word "Butterfly Effect". The word Butterfly Effect is produced from the observations of one kind butterfly in the Amazon area. It is that the butterfly on a leaf of wood moving it's wings or not, we can forecast the weather of far away place after days. Originally the word "Butterfly Effect" was made by Edward. N. Lorenz who is a meteorologist of MIT in the USA. The title of his lecture in Washington in 1972 was "The possibility of prediction: Whether if one butterfly moves it's wings, a large tornado will be caused by it in Texas or not ?". His this thought is called "Chaos Theory".

Though my story here is different a little from Lorenz in it's meaning, like such expectations also seems to be able to say about cabbage butterflies and swallowtail butterflies in Japan. But it is not the relation between the moving of a butterfly's wings and the atmosphere pointed out metaphorically by Edward. N. Lorenz. I have been observing the relations between the Japanese summer weather and the number of butterflies for about these six years and also I will continue to do it after now. When the number of cabbage butterfly is a little one in the last of spring, it will be cool in Japanese rainy season in June and the beginning of July. But after then if many swallowtail butterflies can be seen the summer season of the year becomes hot. This is the interesting relation for me. Though the lecture of Edward. N. Lorenz had been done before I began the observation of butterflies, I had noticed this fact before I read "Butterfly Effect" in a book. I will write the observing results here. It is as follows. But the reason why I feel that I can expect the summer weather with the number of butterflies is not clear. Though I want to know the reason, no one knows nor tells me it. So I have to continue to think about it by myself. Some one said that the emergence of butterflies is caused under certain condition. It needs a certain temperature and light. But I can't know how the temperature and light changes before the number of butterflies changes.

Cabbage Butterfly

In '93 in Japan, I could see few cabbage butterflies during spring. And swallowtail butterflies is out of my impression. The year was very cold summer and rainy days continued for long time in Japan. Japanese rice product decreased and Japanese Government imported rice from foreign countries. And the prime minister Mr.Morihiro Hosokawa also accepted the free trade of rice though Japanese Government had protected against free trade of rice at GATT.

In '94 in Japan, though the number of cabbage butterflies was so few the before year and so the eggs of the cabbage butterflies might be few, I could see some cabbage butterflies during spring. It was very hot summer in Kanto area where is the middle south part of Japan. And then unusual shortage of water in Kyushu area and Shikoku area (where is south west part) in Japan had happened.

In '95 in Japan, I couldn't see cabbage butterflies but in May and June I could see many swallowtail butterflies. It was cool in July but in August it became to be very hot and we couldn't have rain. So we experienced the shortage of water in Kanto area.

In '96 in Japan, the order that I saw cabbage butterflies and swallowtail butterflies was reverse order. I saw swallowtail butterflies and then saw swallowtail butterflies. It was cool in July but it became hot in August and the shortage of water in Kanto area continued.

In '97 in Japan, I could saw a cabbage butterfly and a swallowtail butterfly in the same day 26 April. And then I could many swallowtail butterflies. This year is the year when El Nino occurred. In the year El Nino occurs it usually becomes cool summer or cold summer in Japan. But it became usual summer this year in Japan.

In '98 in Japan,it is like this.

In '99 in Japan we have many thunderstorm in Tokyo. And the average temperature in fall was the highest one from the beginning of meteorological observation. Such in '99 in Japan here.

The summer weather 2000 in Japan is here.

In 2001 in Japan, the summer weather is very different from usual years. In the east area and west area of Japan the weather are very different. Please read  2001 weather. It is here.

In 2002 in Japan, it was so difficult to expect summer weather. Because the number changed very much. My expectation was so unsuccessful. The Meteorological Agency feared that it would be cool summer because of El Nino. But it was so hot summer in Japan. The weather in 2002 changed very fast from  winter to spring. And hot weather time was very long. And the more cold season came so early. The information of summer in 2002 is here.

In 2003 in Japan, it was cool summer after ten years. The number of cabbage butterfly changed and increased at the beginning of June. I learned that it is very important to judge the number of cabbage butterfly at this time. the information of summer in 2003 is here.　

In 2004 in Japan, it was so hot summer. But it was comparatively easy to expect it. Many records of weather were recorded. It is here.

These are the results of my observations. How is it in your area. If it is interesting for you, please try it and if you have some such like information please tell me it by E-mail.

Thank you for your time.

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