Weathernews Inc.

Weathernews Inc. is a Japanese meteorological information and forecasting company headquartered in Chiba Prefecture. It supplies weather data, forecasts, alerts, analysis, and operational decision support to consumers, broadcasters, transportation companies, and industrial customers. Its activities cover marine weather, ship routing, aviation, agriculture, energy, logistics, disaster preparedness, broadcasting, mobile applications, and online weather media. The company was established in 1986 through a management buyout led by Hiroyoshi Ishibashi. Ishibashi had been involved with the Japanese subsidiary of Ocean Routes, a United States-based marine meteorological research and routing business. The company's origins are connected with the loss of a cargo ship at Onahama Port during a severe storm in January 1970. The accident, which killed 15 people, helped motivate Ishibashi's view that more useful and operationally relevant weather information could reduce maritime risk. Weathernews initially developed from marine forecasting into land-based and aviation services, with support from financial institutions. Weathernews traces its commercial lineage further back through Ocean Routes and Pacific Weather Analysis Corporation, founded in 1953 to provide weather-routing information for ships crossing the Pacific. In 1993, Weathernews merged with Ocean Routes. The combination expanded its international reach and reinforced its position as one of the world's largest privately owned weather-information businesses. The company has been an early adopter of broadcast graphics, satellite imagery, digital distribution, and participatory weather reporting. In 1983, before its formal 1986 establishment, its predecessor began supplying weather information to Asahi Broadcasting, making it the first weather provider other than the Japan Weather Association to supply forecasts to a Japanese broadcasting station. Its television work included cloud imagery from the Himawari meteorological satellite and, in 1991, a fully three-dimensional computer-generated weather presentation for TV Asahi's News Station. Weathernews later produced programming for TV Tokyo and operated a dedicated weather channel on PerfecTV!. Its consumer-facing media business has included Weathernews LiVE, a continuously available online weather stream descended from SOLiVE24, and the Weathernews mobile application. The company also supplied the main weather content for Nintendo's Wii Forecast Channel, launched in 2006. Its digital services combine forecasts with observations, alerts, maps, video, user reports, and localized information. The company has also developed business systems for clients whose operations are sensitive to weather, including shipping, aviation, energy generation, agriculture, and transport. Weathernews operates internationally through service, operating, sales, and marketing locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its global center is in Chiba, while service centers have been identified in Oklahoma, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Paris, with operating centers in Manila and Yangon and commercial offices across major Asian, European, and American markets. The company reported 1,152 employees in 2024 according to the referenced Wikipedia article. Its stated market identity is that of the world's largest privately owned weather company, although this is a company claim rather than an independently established financial ranking. Weathernews is a Japanese commercial weather-information company headquartered in Chiba City. Operating under the corporate name Weathernews Inc., it provides forecasting, observation, meteorological data, risk information, and related decision-support services to both consumers and business customers. Its activities span marine transportation, aviation, broadcasting, telecommunications, public-facing digital services, and other sectors that depend on timely information about weather and environmental conditions. The company traces its roots to private marine-weather businesses established in the United States during the mid-twentieth century. The earlier Pacific Weather Analysis Corporation was founded in 1953 to provide weather-routing information for ships crossing the Pacific, and later became associated with Ocean Routes. The Japanese business that developed into Weathernews was led by Hiroyoshi Ishibashi, who had served as president of the Japanese subsidiary of Ocean Routes. In 1986, Ishibashi used a management buyout to acquire the Japanese operation, establishing Weathernews in a transaction that was unusual in Japan at the time. The business began with approximately 40 employees. The company’s founding rationale was closely connected to maritime safety. A cargo ship disaster at Onahama Port in January 1970, attributed to a powerful bomb cyclone, killed 15 people. Ishibashi viewed the accident as evidence that more useful and actionable weather information was needed for mariners. Weathernews consequently developed beyond conventional forecast publication, emphasizing specialized information and operational support for industries exposed to weather-related disruption. Weathernews expanded early into broadcasting and visual presentation. In 1983, before the formal 1986 establishment of Weathernews, the business began supplying weather information to Asahi Broadcasting. This made it the first weather-information provider other than the Japan Weather Association to supply forecasts to a Japanese broadcaster. Its broadcast material included imagery from Himawari, Japan’s first meteorological satellite. In 1991, the company supplied what has been described as the world’s first fully three-dimensional computer-generated weather forecast graphics for TV Asahi’s News Station. It later produced programming for TV Tokyo and launched a dedicated weather channel on the PerfecTV! satellite platform in 1996. In 1993, Weathernews merged with Ocean Routes. The transaction strengthened its international operations and helped establish the company as a multinational private weather-information provider. Weathernews subsequently built a network of service and operating centers outside Japan, including facilities in the United States, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, the Philippines, and Myanmar, together with sales and marketing operations across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. The company also developed a substantial consumer-facing digital presence. In 2006, Nintendo’s Wii Forecast Channel used Weathernews content to display forecasts and current temperatures through the Wii’s online services. Although the channel itself later became unusable when Nintendo discontinued WiiConnect24 in 2013, the arrangement demonstrated Weathernews’s role as a technology and content supplier beyond traditional broadcast media. In 2009, the company launched SOLiVE24, an internet-based weather stream that combined continuous forecasting with presenter-led programming. The service evolved into Weathernews LiVE in 2018, with a stronger emphasis on continuous weather information while retaining some entertainment elements. Weathernews also entered mobile services with Weathernews Touch, initially launched for iOS in 2009. The application was later renamed Weathernews in 2019 and expanded across iOS and Android. In Japan, its consumer services compete with offerings from the Japan Weather Association, Yahoo Japan, and NHK. Alongside public digital products, the company continues to serve professional customers that require tailored forecasts, weather monitoring, route information, and analysis. As of 2024, Weathernews reported 1,152 employees and described itself as the world’s largest privately owned weather company. Its present identity combines specialist meteorological services, international business operations, broadcast and streaming content, mobile applications, and weather-related information designed to support safety and operational decisions. Its consumer-facing media business includes Weathernews LiVE (a continuous online weather stream derived from SOLiVE24) and the Weathernews mobile application. The company also provided the principal weather content for Nintendo's Wii Forecast Channel, introduced in 2006, which delivered forecasts and current temperatures through WiiConnect24 until Nintendo discontinued that network service in 2013. Its digital services combine forecasts with observations, alerts, maps, video, user reports, and localized information. The company also develops business systems for weather-sensitive customers, including shipping, aviation, energy generation, agriculture, and transportation. Weathernews operates internationally through service, operations, sales, and marketing locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its global center is in Chiba, with service centers in Oklahoma, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Paris, operating centers in Manila and Yangon, and commercial offices in major markets across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. According to the cited Wikipedia article, the company reported 1,152 employees in 2024. It claims the market identity of the world's largest private weather company, although this is a company statement rather than an independently determined financial ranking.

Weathernews Inc. emerged from the private marine-weather business associated with Pacific Weather Analysis Corporation and Ocean Routes. Pacific Weather Analysis Corporation was established in 1953 to provide weather-route information to ships crossing the Pacific and is described in the reference material as the first private weather-information company. Ocean Routes later operated in the United States and established a Japanese subsidiary. Hiroyoshi Ishibashi became involved in the Japanese Ocean Routes business and expanded its land and aviation divisions. His motivation for improving operational weather information was shaped by a January 1970 maritime disaster at Onahama Port, where a cargo ship sank during a bomb cyclone and 15 people died. Ishibashi believed that more useful information for sailors could have helped prevent the loss. The business therefore developed around practical forecasting and decision support rather than weather information as a purely public or media product. Before Weathernews was formally established, its predecessor began supplying weather information to Asahi Broadcasting in April 1983. This made it the first provider other than the Japan Weather Association to supply weather forecasts to a Japanese broadcaster. The service included television cloud imagery derived from Himawari, Japan's first meteorological satellite. In October 1991, the company supplied what the reference material identifies as the world's first weather forecast produced entirely with three-dimensional computer graphics for TV Asahi's News Station. It subsequently produced Weather Paradise for TV Tokyo and launched a dedicated weather channel on PerfecTV! in October 1996. Weathernews was founded in 1986 through a management buyout, an unusual structure in Japan at the time. The transaction acquired the business for 10,000 yen, and the newly established company had approximately 40 employees. Ishibashi had obtained financial support while developing the land and aviation activities, which were valued at 180 million yen in the historical account. In 1993, Weathernews merged with Ocean Routes, its predecessor or parent organization, creating a broader multinational private weather-information group. The company continued to extend its distribution channels from television to the internet, mobile devices, and interactive services. In 2006, it became the main content provider for Nintendo's Wii Forecast Channel. The service delivered forecasts and temperatures through WiiConnect24 until Nintendo discontinued that network service in 2013, after which the channel could no longer connect to Weathernews servers. In 2009, Weathernews launched SOLiVE24, an online stream that mixed weather forecasts with other programming. The service was reoriented in 2018 as Weathernews LiVE, with a stronger emphasis on continuous weather coverage. The company also entered mobile weather services with Weathernews Touch, first for iOS and later for Android; the application was renamed Weathernews in 2019. Today, Weathernews serves both general consumers and professional users. Its business portfolio includes marine routing, aviation meteorology, broadcast content, weather data, mobile forecasts, and customized services for weather-sensitive sectors. The company is headquartered in Chiba and maintains international service, operating, sales, and marketing locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. The reference material reports 1,152 employees in 2024 and identifies Weathernews as claiming to be the world's largest privately owned weather company. Weathernews developed from a chain of private marine-weather enterprises. Pacific Weather Analysis Corporation, founded in 1953, supplied weather-routing information to ships crossing the Pacific and is identified as an early private weather-information company. The business later became associated with Ocean Routes, a United States-based marine meteorological research company. The Japanese operation was led by Hiroyoshi Ishibashi, who served as president of Ocean Routes’ Japanese subsidiary. Ishibashi had been influenced by a 1970 maritime disaster at Onahama Port, where a cargo ship sank during a severe bomb cyclone and 15 people died. He argued that more useful weather information could improve safety for sailors and reduce the consequences of rapidly changing conditions. Before the creation of Weathernews, the operation expanded its land and aviation divisions with support from financial institutions. In 1986, Ishibashi acquired the Japanese operation through a management buyout and established Weathernews. The purchase was reportedly completed for 10,000 yen, a structure considered highly unusual in Japan at that time. The new company had approximately 40 employees. Its early business combined marine expertise with wider forecasting and information services. Weathernews entered Japanese broadcasting in 1983, before the formal establishment of the company, when it began supplying weather information to Asahi Broadcasting. It became the first provider other than the Japan Weather Association to supply forecasts to a Japanese broadcasting station. The company also provided cloud imagery from the Himawari meteorological satellite. In October 1991, it supplied fully three-dimensional computer-generated forecast graphics for TV Asahi’s News Station, an important development in televised weather presentation. It later produced the Weather Paradise program for TV Tokyo and launched a dedicated weather channel on the PerfecTV! platform in October 1996. A major corporate turning point came in 1993, when Weathernews merged with Ocean Routes. The combination expanded the company’s international reach and helped it become a multinational private weather-information provider. Weathernews subsequently established service centers in Oklahoma, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Paris, as well as operating centers in Manila and Yangon. Sales and marketing offices were also developed in numerous Asian, European, North American, and South American cities. The company broadened its technology and media activities during the 2000s. Nintendo’s Wii Forecast Channel, introduced in 2006, used Weathernews as a principal source of forecast content and displayed current temperatures and daily forecasts through WiiConnect24. The service became unavailable after Nintendo shut down WiiConnect24 in 2013. In 2009, Weathernews launched SOLiVE24, an internet streaming service that mixed weather coverage with variety programming. The service evolved into Weathernews LiVE in 2018, with a more direct weather-information format. Weathernews also built a consumer mobile business. Its Weathernews Touch application began on iOS in 2009 and was subsequently offered on Android. The application was renamed Weathernews in 2019. It competes in Japan with mobile and web services from the Japan Weather Association, Yahoo Japan, and NHK, while the company’s professional business continues to support sectors such as marine transportation, aviation, broadcasting, and other weather-sensitive operations. By 2024, Weathernews reported 1,152 employees and characterized itself as the largest privately owned weather company in the world. Its business now spans professional forecasting, industry-specific meteorological analysis, broadcast production, online streaming, mobile applications, and international weather-information operations. In 2009, Weathernews launched SOLiVE24, an online stream that mixed weather forecasts with presenter-led segments and other programming. The service was reoriented in 2018 as Weathernews LiVE, with a stronger emphasis on continuous weather coverage while retaining some entertainment features. The company also entered mobile weather services with Weathernews Touch, first for iOS and later for Android; the application was renamed Weathernews in 2019. In Japan, its consumer services compete with products from the Japan Weather Association, Yahoo Japan, and NHK.

• 2024

  Company reports 1,152 employees

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Weathernews reported a workforce of 1,152 employees and described itself as the world's largest privately owned weather company.

• 2019

  Weathernews mobile app is renamed

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Weathernews Touch is renamed Weathernews and is offered for both iOS and Android.

• 2018

  SOLiVE24 evolves into Weathernews LiVE

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  The streaming service adopted the Weathernews LiVE identity and moved toward a more direct weather-service format.

• 2013

  Wii Forecast Channel connectivity ends

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Nintendo’s discontinuation of WiiConnect24 prevented the Wii Forecast Channel from retrieving Weathernews data.

• 2009

  SOLiVE24 and mobile weather services launch

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  The company launches the SOLiVE24 online stream and its mobile application, initially branded Weathernews Touch.

• 2009

  SOLiVE24 and the first mobile application launch

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  The company launched its internet weather stream SOLiVE24 and introduced the Weathernews Touch mobile application on iOS.

• 2006

  Nintendo Wii Forecast Channel launches

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Weathernews supplies the main content for Nintendo's Wii Forecast Channel, distributing weather information through WiiConnect24.

• 1996

  Dedicated weather channel launches on PerfecTV!

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Weathernews begins producing a dedicated weather channel for the Japanese satellite television platform PerfecTV!.

• 1993

  Weathernews merges with Ocean Routes

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  The merger expanded the company’s international scale and consolidated its position as a multinational private weather-information provider.

• 1991

  Three-dimensional computer-generated weather forecast is broadcast

  [1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Weathernews provides a fully three-dimensional computer-generated weather presentation for TV Asahi's News Station.

Showing the 10 most recent.

A specialized, technology-oriented commercial weather-information provider combining professional forecasting, industry-specific risk support, broadcast content, digital consumer services, and international operations.

• Online weather broadcasting · 2018

  Weathernews LiVE

  Weathernews LiVE is the company's continuous online weather stream. It developed from SOLiVE24, which began in 2009 as a mix of weather forecasting, presenter-led segments, and variety programming. From 2018, the service adopted a more direct weather-information orientation while retaining some entertainment features. Weathernews LiVE is a continuous online weather-streaming service. It developed from SOLiVE24, which launched in 2009 with a mixture of forecasts, presenter-led segments, and variety programming. The 2018 rebranding placed greater emphasis on direct weather coverage while preserving some programming elements.

• Consumer weather application · 2009

  Weathernews mobile application

  The Weathernews application delivers mobile forecasts and related weather information for iOS and Android users. It began as Weathernews Touch on iOS in 2009, later expanded to Android, and adopted the Weathernews name in 2019. In Japan it competes with consumer weather products from the Japan Weather Association, Yahoo Japan, and NHK.

• Marine meteorology

  Weathernews Ocean Routing

  Weathernews's marine business provides meteorological information and operational support for shipping. Its historical foundation is weather routing for vessels, and its maritime services are intended to help operators plan routes and manage weather-related risks.

• Aviation meteorology

  Weathernews Aviation Services

  Weathernews provides aviation-focused meteorological information and forecasting as part of its professional services portfolio. The aviation division developed alongside its land-weather activities and serves weather-sensitive operational planning.

• Broadcast meteorology · 1983

  Broadcast weather information services

  The company supplies forecasts, satellite imagery, cloud imagery, graphics, and weather programming to broadcasters. Its broadcast work includes early Japanese television services for Asahi Broadcasting, TV Asahi, and TV Tokyo, three-dimensional computer-generated forecasts, and dedicated weather-channel production on PerfecTV!. Weathernews supplies forecasts, satellite imagery, computer-generated graphics, and weather programming for broadcasters. Its broadcast history includes work for Asahi Broadcasting, TV Asahi, and TV Tokyo, as well as a dedicated weather channel on PerfecTV!

• Mobile weather application · 2009

  Weathernews

  Weathernews is the company’s consumer mobile application, offering weather forecasts and related information through iOS and Android. It began as Weathernews Touch on iOS in 2009 and was renamed Weathernews in 2019. In Japan it competes with consumer weather products from the Japan Weather Association, Yahoo Japan, and NHK.

• Professional meteorological service · 1953

  Marine weather and routing services

  Marine weather services are central to Weathernews’s historical identity. They provide weather information and analysis for shipping and other maritime operations, including support related to route planning and safety. The company’s roots lie in private weather-routing information developed for ships crossing the Pacific.

• Business meteorological services · 1986

  Commercial weather information and analysis

  The company provides tailored forecasts, meteorological data, environmental information, and analysis for weather-sensitive commercial sectors. Its professional scope includes marine transportation, aviation, broadcasting, and other activities that require operational decisions based on changing weather conditions.

• 2019

  Rename Weathernews Touch as WeathernewsGeneration change

  Background

  The company's mobile application had expanded beyond its original iOS launch.

  Action taken

  The application was renamed Weathernews and made available for both iOS and Android.

  Aftermath

  The unified name strengthened the consumer-facing identity of the company's mobile weather service.

  Source

• 2018

  Reposition SOLiVE24 as Weathernews LiVEGeneration change

  Background

  The earlier online service combined weather coverage with substantial variety programming.

  Action taken

  Weathernews changed the service's identity and format to emphasize continuous weather information more directly.

  Aftermath

  Weathernews LiVE became the company's principal online weather-streaming brand.

  Source

• 2009

  Launch SOLiVE24 and mobile weather servicesProduct launch

  Background

  Weather information consumption was shifting toward internet streaming and mobile devices.

  Action taken

  Weathernews launched SOLiVE24 and introduced its mobile application, initially called Weathernews Touch.

  Aftermath

  SOLiVE24 later became Weathernews LiVE, while the mobile application expanded to Android and was renamed Weathernews in 2019.

  Source

• 2009

  Launch SOLiVE24 and Weathernews TouchProduct launch

  Background

  Weathernews was expanding from professional and broadcast services into continuous online media and mobile consumer products.

  Action taken

  The company launched SOLiVE24 as an internet weather stream and introduced Weathernews Touch as an iOS mobile application.

  Aftermath

  These services formed the basis of the later Weathernews LiVE streaming brand and the renamed cross-platform Weathernews application.

  Source

• 2006

  Provide weather content for the Wii Forecast ChannelProduct launch

  Background

  Nintendo sought weather information for a connected Wii channel distributed through WiiConnect24.

  Action taken

  Weathernews became the principal content provider for the channel, supplying forecasts and current-temperature information.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement extended Weathernews’s consumer reach into a major home-entertainment platform until WiiConnect24 was discontinued in 2013.

  Source

• 1993

  Merge with Ocean RoutesM&A

  Background

  Weathernews had developed from the Japanese operation of Ocean Routes, while Ocean Routes represented the company’s broader marine meteorological heritage and international base.

  Action taken

  Weathernews merged with Ocean Routes, consolidating the related businesses under a larger multinational private weather-information operation.

  Aftermath

  The combination created a larger multinational private weather-information business and reinforced its position in commercial weather services.

  Source

• 1986

  Establish the company through a management buyoutStrategy

  Background

  The Japanese Ocean Routes business had expanded beyond marine meteorology into land and aviation services, while Ishibashi sought a structure focused on practical private weather information.

  Action taken

  Hiroyoshi Ishibashi and supporting financial institutions used a management buyout to establish Weathernews as an independent company.

  Aftermath

  The new company continued the predecessor's marine-weather activities while developing broader forecasting and industry services.

  Source

• 2019

  Weathernews application adopts its current name[1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The mobile service formerly known as Weathernews Touch was renamed Weathernews and made available across iOS and Android.

• 2019

  Weathernews mobile application receives the Weathernews name[1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The company’s Weathernews Touch application was renamed Weathernews and made available for both iOS and Android users.

• 2018

  SOLiVE24 evolves into Weathernews LiVE[1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product generation

  The company's online broadcast service was repositioned from the earlier SOLiVE24 format toward a more direct weather-information service, while retaining selected entertainment elements.

• 2009

  Weathernews launches SOLiVE24 online weather stream[1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Campaign · Other

  Weathernews began SOLiVE24, an internet stream combining continuous weather coverage with variety-oriented programming. The service later developed into Weathernews LiVE.

• 2009

  Weathernews introduces its mobile weather application[1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The company launched its mobile application, initially called Weathernews Touch for iOS. The application was subsequently expanded to Android and renamed Weathernews in 2019.

• 2006

  Weathernews supplies content for Nintendo Wii Forecast Channel[1]Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · M&A · Other

  Nintendo launched the Wii Forecast Channel using Weathernews as its principal weather-content provider. The service displayed forecasts, current temperatures, and related information through WiiConnect24.

1. 1Weathernews Inc.en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Weathernews official websiteweathernews.com
3. 3Weathernews official corporate websitejp.weathernews.com