HAKUO-MARU

HAKUO-MARU (IMO: 9192985) is a Fishing vessel sailing under the Japan flag. It has an overall length of 187 feets and a beam of 33 feets.

HAKUO-MARU

Vessel Identification

Specifications

Propulsion

Shipyard

Owner / Operator

Operating Region

• Primary Area: Northwestern Pacific Ocean
• Secondary Areas: Waters surrounding Japan, including the Sea of Japan (East Sea), East China Sea, and the Philippine Sea
• Mission Focus: Marine meteorological observation, oceanographic data collection, and atmospheric monitoring in support of Japan Meteorological Agency operations

Vessel Description

HAKUO-MARU is a Japanese government-operated oceanographic and meteorological research vessel operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Built in 1999 by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, she is one of the primary research platforms used by JMA for conducting observations critical to weather forecasting, climate research, and ocean monitoring across the western Pacific region.

The vessel is equipped to conduct a broad range of scientific missions including:

• Marine meteorological observations
• Upper-atmosphere sounding (radiosonde launches)
• Oceanographic profiling (temperature, salinity, current measurements)
• Carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas monitoring
• Wave and sea-state measurement

As a purpose-built research platform, HAKUO-MARU plays an essential role in Japan's national weather forecasting infrastructure, particularly for monitoring typhoon development and ocean-atmosphere interaction in the Pacific basin. The vessel routinely undertakes extended observation voyages and contributes data to international meteorological programs and global ocean observation networks such as ARGO and GOOS (Global Ocean Observing System).

Note: Some technical specifications (propulsion details, precise tonnage) should be independently verified against current JMA or official registry records, as vessel specifications may have been updated following any refits.