Weathernews opened “Hatsuhinode Ch.” on its WeatherNews smartphone app and began distributing the time of the first sunrise of January 1, 2023, as well as the latest weather information.
On New Year’s Day, a winter pressure pattern is expected to prevail, with clear winter skies and a good view of the first sunrise from the Pacific coast of Hokkaido to the Pacific coast of Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, Kinki, Shikoku, Setouchi, and Kyushu.
However, there is a possibility of cloud cover associated with local wind changes along some coasts from the southern Kanto region to the Izu Peninsula. It is also expected to be difficult to see the first sunrise in northern Japan, Hokuriku, and the Sea of Japan side of western Japan.
Hatsuhinode Ch.” offers “Hatsuhinode Time Prediction,” a service that predicts the time when the first sunrise will be visible from the current location, down to the minute. The service analyzes a 10 km mesh of weather conditions to the east of where the sun rises and a 250 m mesh of surrounding terrain information, including mountains, to simulate the time at which the sun will be visible, down to the minute. Since the service takes into account clouds and surrounding topographical information, it is said to be able to determine the time of the first sunrise in more detail, even in cases where clouds over the mountains or horizon obstruct the appearance of the sun.
© Source travel watch