Hi! This is my first report as an Ambassador. Hope you enjoy!

As we, through human activity, continue to degrade our Earth, every country has been affected by “changes due to climate change,” no matter if they are a bustling developed country or a newly developing one. Japan falls into the former as its GDP is comfortably ranked third on the global index with $5.2 trillion dollars. Even with this abundance of prosperity, Japan’s ecosystem has been greatly impacted by climate change: an ever-growing problem that Japan, itself, greatly contributed to. 

Firstly, there needs be a discussion on the specific changes in Japan as a result of the ensuing effects of climate change. Similarly to the global rise in temperature, there is no doubt that Japan is heating up as over the last century the average temperature has risen by 1 degrees celsius which results in more “hot” days(+35C) overall. These changes in temperature are more pronounced in the colder regions of Japan such as Hokkaido where maximum temperatures during winter increased at a higher rate than the national average. These along with drastic sea level rise, unpredictable precipitation, and increased rate of natural disasters(typhoons in particular) have altered the ecosystem for the worst. 

The effects have hit Japan’s ecosystem hard and these changes in the environment can be visually seen all around Japan. For a long time, Hokkaido, in the northern tip, has been the home of most of Japan’s wildlife with over a hundred different species of birds and a prominent large brown bear region. However, as the atmosphere around these wildlife degrades so do their size, putting pressure on the pre-existing large population of Animals in Hokkaido. As these critical pieces of the Hokkaido ecosystem begin to dwindle, in turn, the effects will be passed onto plants, our agriculture, and ultimately our cultural identity. The most glaring example of which, is the increasingly alarming trend of when cherry blossoms bloom. Where,”over the last 50 years, Japan has experienced an earlier average blooming date for its cherry blossoms by 4.2 days.” This growing change from the standard blossoming date and other plant-based alterations is that there will eventually be an ecosystem mismatch with birds and insects that rely on these plants being the most at-risk. 

 However, the biggest impact has, and will continue to be, on Japan’s coastal and marine-life sectors. As temperatures in the water continue to increase, the fish population responds by slowly diminishing in size. Where there used to be a plethora of Japanese-salmon in the perfect “icy” temperatures of the north, Salmon now have to migrate farther up north to reach the same temperature. In Hokkaido, Salmon is not just a delicious dinner, it is also the bedrock that fuels the wonderfully diverse ecosystem found within the lushest of greens and the deepest of Oceans. They are linked to one another, when salmon disappear so do Bears, then, one by one, the dominoes start falling until none are left standing. In the end, what was once heralded as  “One of the richest integrated ecosystems in the world,” (UNESCO), will be a shell of its former self.

If the data continues to follow recent trends, several prediction models have reached an appalling conclusion. Though I have only detailed some of the effects on climate change in Japan. This is not the fully story. This is only a small glimpse into the larger problem at stake:not just for Japan, but for the world. The truth is, the Earth is changing as a consequence of our actions...and not for the better.

Works Cited: