We Held a Seminar for Media: Cold Winters Under Climate Change — International Trends and the Journalism Required
MEDIA IS HOPE Inc. regularly hosts “Seminar for Media,” inviting experts to explain important and timely topics to media professionals, with the aim of accelerating climate change reporting.
For this session — the first of 2026 — we invited three experts under the theme “Cold Winters Under Climate Change: International Trends and the Journalism Required.”
The latest insights were shared on the following three topics:
・The mechanism behind increasing extreme heavy snowfall even as global warming progresses
・International trends around climate change, where corporations and nations are increasingly being held legally accountable
・The importance of solutions journalism, which conveys not just the current state of problems but also their solutions
Event Overview
◼︎Date: January 15th, 2026(Thursday), 7:00PM~8:30PM
◼︎Location: Vision Centre TOKYO TORANOMON
◼︎Format: Online and in-person simultaneous event
◼︎Supported by: United Nations Information Centre(UNIC)
◼︎Participation: Media professionals *This session was held by invitation only.
◼︎Speakers:
Hiroaki Kawase: Head / The 1st Lab. / Department of Applied Meteorology Research
Yusuke Matuso: Executive Director of the Secretariat, Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership
Kimika Tonunma: Former Co-Editor-in-Chief, IDEAS FOR GOOD
Session Highlights
① Cold Winters Under Climate Change / Hiroaki Kawase, Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency
Hiroaki Kawase, who researches the effects of global warming on heavy rainfall and snowfall in Japan, shared insights into the relationship between global warming and heavy snow, using the latest data and analytical methods.
As warming progresses, snowfall is decreasing on the Pacific side of Japan. While natural climate variability such as the “La Niña phenomenon” can temporarily bring colder winters, further warming is projected to increase heavy snowfall in a short duration in inland areas of the Hokuriku region and Hokkaido.
Kawase also introduced Event Attribution, a method for evaluating how much global warming has changed the frequency and precipitation levels of extreme weather events. He then explained the results of an analysis using this method to assess the impact of global warming on the heavy snowfall of winter 2021–2022 (Reiwa 4), which brought heavy snow to Hikone, western Japan, Sapporo, and Niigata:
・Total snowfall has decreased nationwide due to global warming
・Once-in-a-decade heavy snowfall has increased along mountain areas of Hokuriku and in Hokkaido
・In Hokuriku, heavy snowfall that normally occurs once every 10 years occurred at a frequency of approximately once every 4 years in winter 2021–2022 → Without global warming, it would have been approximately once every 20 years. Global warming increased the probability by approximately five times
Similar effects were confirmed in the heavy snowfall of winter 2024–2025 (Reiwa 7), further demonstrating that global warming is contributing to the increase in heavy snowfall.
Hiroaki Kawase:
Head, The 1st Lab, Department of Applied Meteorology Research, Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency.
Born in Mie Prefecture. Doctor of Science, weather forecaster. After completing his doctoral degree at the University of Tsukuba in 2007, he worked at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), before joining the Meteorological Research Institute in 2014. His research focuses on the effects of global warming on heavy rainfall and snowfall in Japan. He has received the Syono Award from the Meteorological Society of Japan and the Hirata award from the Japanese Society of Snow and Ice.
<International Trends in Climate Change/Yusuke Matuso: Executive Director of the Secretariat, Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership>
Yusuke Matsuo, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP), shared the latest updates on international trends surrounding climate change.
He noted that research is advancing to quantitatively measure the impact of major emitters, such as oil companies, on the probability and intensity of heatwaves, bringing emitter responsibility into focus. He also shared the view that the interpretation that “inaction on climate risk can lead to legal liability” is gaining ground among Japanese companies as well.
He also pointed out that responses to climate change are shifting from voluntary contributions and efforts to a realm of legal responsibility and obligation. As a symbol of this shift, he highlighted the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issuing an advisory opinion in 2025 stating that climate action is a legal obligation of states. He also referred to a domestic example, introducing a “climate change lawsuit” filed in December 2025, in which approximately 480 plaintiffs sued the Japanese government with the support of practicing lawyers and legal scholars.
On trends surrounding renewable energy, he explained that even under the Trump administration, stock prices of renewable energy companies have performed well, while fossil fuel companies have stagnated. He noted that despite major events such as the global financial crisis and the war in Ukraine, international agreements and national efforts have continued and markets have expanded. He concluded his talk by pointing out that such events can in some cases actually accelerate decarbonization.
Yusuke Matuso: Executive Director of the Secretariat, Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership
Born in 1974. After working at the Sanwa Bank (now MUFG Bank) and as an ESG specialist researcher at an investment advisory firm, and as a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), he assumed his current position in July 2025. He completed his Master’s degree in Environmental Management and Policy(EMP) at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University (Sweden) in 2005. Throughout his career, he has conducted research and practical activities on the relationship between climate change and business. Awards include the 14th Kaya Award from the Japan Society of Energy and Resources (2010). His publications include “Datsutanso Keiei Nyumon” (Introduction to Decarbonization Management, Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.) and” Nyumon Tekisuto Kokusai Keiei” (Introduction to International Business, CHUOKEIZAI-SHA HOLDINGS, INC.).
<What Is Solution Journalism?/ Former Co-Editor-in-Chief, IDEAS FOR GOOD>
Solution journalism is a form of journalism that not only reports on social problems but also deeply explores the responses and solutions to those problems. Kimika Tonuma, Japan’s first trainer certified by the Solutions Journalism Network, explained its definition and significance.
She shared data showing that, compared to news that only reports on problems, solution journalism leads to a higher proportion of people responding that they “better understood the topic,” “felt motivated to help solve it,” and “wanted to read more from the same author or outlet.” She also emphasized its importance by noting that it can contribute to protecting the mental health of journalists and editors themselves.
She also introduced the “four pillars” of solution journalism:
Response — the response to the problem being addressed
Insight — insights that others can gain from the initiative
Evidence — proof that the initiative is effective
Limitations — constraints and challenges within the initiative
She pointed out the importance of examining “responses already underway” to a problem — along with their results and limitations — and conveying replicable insights to readers.
She also introduced practical content, including specific examples of information that would be useful to audiences.
Kimika Tonuma / Former Co-Editor-in-Chief, IDEAS FOR GOOD
After graduating from university, she worked as a concierge at the Tokyo American Club before joining Harch Inc. An editor who speaks four languages. She also serves as an external lecturer at universities. Japan’s first trainer certified by the Solutions Journalism Network. The session was well-received by participants, and the presentations sparked interview requests from attending media outlets to the speakers, leading to actual news coverage. MEDIA IS HOPE Inc. will continue to host study sessions for media professionals and networking events covering topics relevant to the current situation. We look forward to your continued interest in our activities.
Examples of reporting that followed from this session:
⚫︎[Alterna] “Late January heavy snowfall: Expert says ‘Global warming increased precipitation by 9.5%'”（Available in Japanese only)
⚫︎[RICE Media] “Wait, what? Why is heavy snow increasing because of global warming? We asked the Japan Meteorological Agency #short（Available in Japanese only)