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Hokkaido in northern Japan is a typical subpolar region and wine production using traditional cultivars can be done recently. However, there is an issue that the grapevines have short life spans in snowy central Hokkaido. This study investigates the effect of snow itself and its interaction with vineyard slope and grapevine stiffness on physical stress. In comparison of the flatness of the vineyard, the distortion of the basal trunk in the slope zone was greater than in the flat zones in the snowy mid-season. In comparison between cultivars, the distortion of the basal trunk in the flexible 'Kerner' was greater than in rigid 'Gewürztraminer', even in the flat zones. The magnitude of the distortion coincides with the mortality of grapevines. Although the changes in distortion showed a transition in just two winter durations, these results suggested a possibility that the snow cover might be linked to one of the physical damages of grapevines in vineyards in heavy snowy regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the relationship between the living location and outcomes of physical activity level and physical and psychological functioning in older women. The specific aim was to understand the association between living in a sloped versus non-sloped environment and these outcomes. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting and Participants: 108 older women aged 65 years or older who resided in Nagasaki prefecture participated. Measurements: Physical activity, lung function, muscle strength (hand grip and quadriceps force) and depressive symptoms were assessed objectively. Results: In logistic regression, activity counts per day (OR 0.779, 95%CI 0.715-0.841, p<0.01), activity times per day (OR 0.821, 95%CI 0.801-0.913, p<0.01), hand grip force (OR 0.666, 95%CI 0.558-0.796, p<0.001), and depressed (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score ≥16) (OR 1.093, 95%CI 1.019-1.427, p<0.05) showed statistically significant inverse associations with living in a sloped ground. Conclusions: Since dwelling on sloped ground was associated with negative (lower physical activity levels, lower grip strength, and more depression) outcomes, a comprehensive geriatric assessment, related to all aspects of older women, is recommended. Planning of home exercise programs for the elderly should take such environmental factors into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Urban heat island diurnal-nocturnal difference adopted as relative heat storage indicator. • Seasonal local climate zone (LCZ) and relative heat storage correlation is analyzed. • Relative height slope data is combined with LCZs for heat storage analysis. • Higher-rise LCZs are suggested to have larger relative heat storage effects than lower-rise. • Compact LCZs are suggested to have larger relative heat storage effects than open. This study aims to identify urban forms that are prone to heat storage in the Tokyo Prefecture in Japan. First, local climate zones (LCZ) were identified with 100 m pixel resolution using Landsat 8 data. LCZs include urban forms that are predominantly defined by building compactness and height. The spatial distribution of urban heat island intensity was obtained using LCZs and MODIS 100 m resolution land surface temperatures from 2013 to 2021. The difference between diurnal and nocturnal heat island intensity (∆UHI) was evaluated as an indicator of the relative heat storage effect between the LCZs. Lower ∆UHIs suggest increased relative heat-storage capacities. Seasonal average ∆UHIs for compact and super high-rise, high-rise, mid-rise, and low-rise LCZs were 3.1 °C, 4.1 °C, 5.8 °C, and 8.3 °C, respectively. Additionally, ∆UHIs for open and super high-rise, high-rise, and mid-rise LCZs were 5.8 °C, 6.4 °C, and 7.8 °C, respectively. Slope data also validated the LCZ height. LCZ and slope analyzes found lower ∆UHI magnitudes in all LCZs with high-rise buildings. Also, compact LCZs had lower ∆UHI magnitudes than open LCZs at corresponding heights. Therefore, higher-rise and compact LCZs are suggested to have larger relative heat storage effects than lower-rise and open LCZs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified pseudo-static limit equilibrium approach is used to analyse a full-scale slope failure that occurred during the 1995 Kobe earthquake. The slope is 28 m high, having a gentle angle of 26·5°, and has a factor of safety as high as 2·43 in the absence of an earthquake. In addition to a factor of safety, the critical failure surface obtained from pseudo-static analysis is compared with that of the actual failure surface. Contradictory to some design codes that use only a horizontal seismic coefficient, this study finds that a rational analysis must take into consideration both horizontal and vertical seismic accelerations. The analysis including vertical acceleration may give a shallower or deeper failure surface than cases where vertical acceleration is ignored. An analysis combining horizontal and upward accelerations results in a deeper failure surface than when only downward or no vertical acceleration is considered. The effects of soil properties on the slope stability are also investigated. The study suggests that for near-fault earthquakes, slopes may be subjected to vertical (upward) seismic coefficient as large as 90% that of horizontal, larger than that specified in existing design codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We studied an active forearc margin off eastern Hokkaido, northern Japan, to identify the main influences on stratigraphic development from the last glacial to the present highstand. This paper presents new data on the environment, texture, and sedimentation rates of forearc shelf–slope sediments, based on more than 300 samples of seafloor sediments and densely gridded sub-bottom profiling records. Lowstand sedimentary wedges developed upon the shelf margins in areas with a large sediment supply and without incising canyons. The transgressive and highstand deposits formed on the shelf in extensive, low-gradient, and topographically low areas. The narrow shelf is covered by sandy sediments, where winnowed fines are likely to have escaped to the slope via gravity-driven across-shelf transport or ocean-current-induced along-shelf transport. The slope has a mid-slope mud belt at water depths of 700–1600m. The sedimentation rates on the slope subsequent to 15ka (the late transgressive to highstand stage) were just 10–70% of the rates prior to this period. These changes in sedimentation rates are ascribed to spatially variable topography. High sedimentation rates were maintained at topographically low and gently sloping areas even during highstand periods, due to concentrations of nepheloid layers or deposition via sediment gravity flows. On the other hand, low sedimentation rates were recognized on topographic highs of interfluves on the upper slope or on axes of anticlines, where main flows or overspills of turbidity currents decreased as sealevel rose. These results suggest that sedimentologic and stratigraphic variations are tied to variations in the physical configuration of the shelf/slope system being influenced by the local topography in addition to the climatic and oceanographic processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We analyzed current forest operations in Toei, in the Okumikawa Forestry Area, Japan, by examining actual achievement, location, and topography. We considered five basic forest operations conducted by the Forest Owners’ Association between 1991 and 2000 in a subsidized reforestation and silviculture project: planting, weeding, pruning, cleaning, and thinning. In addition, we considered the road network, including public, forest, and strip roads. The area in which forest operations have been conducted over the past 10 years amounted to less than two-thirds of the area targeted in the Toei Forest Improvement Plan. The mean access distance of the work sites was 164 m, which was 52 m less than the 10-year average for the whole forest (216 m). Forest operations tended to ignore remote forest areas where the topography was steep, due to cost, the logging techniques required, and labor requirements. We determined that the limitations on forest operations in Toei were a 300 m access distance, an elevation of 800 m asl, and a 90% slope. In accessing work sites, the utilization ratios of forest and strip roads were higher than their composition ratios, and public roads were used most. Newly constructed strip roads were used more than forest roads. Based on current forest operations, we calculated the road density and length required to be 7.1 m/ha and 79.2 km, respectively, with an estimated cost exceeding 720 million yen for new construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the spatial distribution of saplings in relation to topography and stand structure in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in the northern part of Okinawa Island, Japan. The distributions of most species were influenced mainly by topography but also by canopy openness. Species were arranged along a topographical gradient from concave areas with low canopy openness to convex areas with high canopy openness. Canopy species were arranged along a gradient from unstable fertile areas to stable infertile areas. Species occurring mostly in convex areas had a narrower distribution range than those in concave sites. Thus, habitat heterogeneity provided by topography and stand structure appears to be important factors for maintaining high species diversity in the understory of this subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neighborhood environments have been regularly associated with the weight status. Although the evidence is mostly limited to adults residing in western urban settings, the weight status of older adults living in rural areas is also assumed to be significantly affected by their neighborhood environments. This study aimed to identify environmental attributes specific to rural areas that could affect the risk of longitudinal weight gain among older adults (≥ 65 years) in Japan., Methods: We examined five environmental attributes, i.e., land slope, public transportation accessibility, residential density, intersection density, and the availability of parks and recreational centers, measured by the geographic information system. Our analysis was based on 714 subjects participated in Shimane Community-based Healthcare Research and Education study in 2012 and 2015. Multinomial logistic regression model was conducted to examine the association between each neighborhood environmental attribute and weight change status (gain, loss and unchanged)., Results: We observed a significant increase in the risk of weight gain as the steepness of the neighborhood land slope increased. There was no significant association between other environmental attributes and risk of weight gain as well as weight loss among older adults., Conclusion: Living in hilly neighborhoods was associated with increased risk of weight gain among rural Japanese older adults. Future research should consider region-specific environmental attributes when investigating their effect on older adults' weight status.

(pp. 59–66) In order to understand the detailed soil distribution of a terrace with a diluvial deposit, the method to draw a large-scale soil map was studied in Urausu Town of Sorachi district by combinig soil survey and digital elevation data for a 10 m grid. The results are summarized as follows: 1) From a soil survey, soils in the research area were classified into 3 soil series groups according to Classification of Cultivated Soils in Japan, Third Approximation, which were Skeletal Terrace Brown Forest Soils, Fine-textured Aquic Brown Forest Soils and Fine-textured Haplic Gray Upland Soils. In addition, Fine-textured Haplic Gray Upland Soils · were classified into 2 categories based on the abundance of gravel in the subsoil. 2) A slope map in the research area was made with digital elevation data for a 10 m grid. From the relationship between soil types and slope, it was clear that Skeletal Terrace Brown Forest Soils were distributed in the areas with more than 4 deg slope. Fine-textured Aquic Brown Forest Soils were distributed in the areas whose slope was 2 to 4 deg. On the other hand, without regard to abundance of gravel, Fine-textured Haplic Gray Upland Soils were distributed in the areas with less than 2 deg slope. 3) Precise soil distribution of each soil series group was drawn based on the above relation and the slope map. The obtained map reflected exactly the precise soil distribution for each soil series group, except for the areas of topographical modification. 4) The abundance of gravel in subsoil of · Fine-textured Haplic Gray Upland Soils · increased in the terrace whose slope was mainly middle or high. From the above results, to draw a large-scale soil map based on precise soil classification in a Diluvial soil area using digital elevation data for a 10 m grid, it is necessary to clarify the characteristics of topography for each target terrace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]