Since 2000, the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) has been conducting a study on the prediction of landslide disasters caused by torrential rain. In 2003, the X-band multi-parameter radar (MP-X) was installed in Ebina, Kanagawa prefecture, and continuous observation of rainfall began. The data obtained from such observations is used not only to predict landslide disasters, but also to reduce natural disasters. Through its observations, NIED aims to achieve the following:

	The establishment of a high-precision, high-resolution precipitation estimation methodology.
	The creation of precipitation data for shallow landslide risk prediction and flood prediction.
	The development of short-term rainfall forecasting using three-dimensional precipitation information.
	An understanding of the microphysical process of precipitation.
	The real-time public disclosure of rainfall information using the Internet.

Using the content below, this website provides a summary of our rainfall observations and describes the initial results obtained:

What is multi-parameter radar?	A new methodology: the R-KDP relationship
Types of radar	R-KDP method unaffected by rain attenuation
Principle of rainfall estimation using multi-parameter radar	500-meter mesh rainfall information
Multi-parameter radar observation parameters	Verification using ground-based raingauges
Outline of radar observations	Appendix - History of NIED weather radar research
Specially prepared raingauge networks