Kanmon Strait, where harbor modifications are markedly frequent. During FY 1996, JMSA will be issuing six new and 41 revised nautical charts, as well as correction chartlets as required.
(ii) Miscellaneous Charts
JMSA provides information required to prepare navigational plans, such as data on ocean currents, tidal streams, locations of fishing equipment, wind direction, wind speed, and geomagnetic variations, through publications such as current charts, tidal stream charts, charts showing set nets fisheries, pilot charts, and charts of magnetic variation in the waters of Japan. In addition, JMSA also publishes gnomonic charts for facilitating great circle sailing and position plotting sheets, in order to facilitate position fixing of ships at sea.
b. Nautical Publications
Information required for safe navigation, such as summaries of harbors, navigational passages, and oceanographic and weather conditions, the status of aids to navigation, forecasts of tides and tidal streams, and the positions of celestial bodies, is compiled in Sailing Directions, Passage Pilot, List of Aids to Navigation, Tide Tables, Nautical Almanac, and other such publications. As of the end of FY 1995, there were a total of 446 of these publications. In FY 1995, JMSA issued new revised editions of 16 nautical publications, for example, the south and east coasts of Honshu-Pilot and List of Aids to Navigation Volume 1. In FY 1996, JMSA will issue new revised editions of 18 nautical publications, such as the northwest coasts of Honshu-Pilot.
c. Aeronautical Charts
Aeronautical charts provide information used for purposes such as the preparation of the flight plans of aircraft and the determination of routes and positions during flights. The information given on aeronautical charts concerns aviation facilities, aviation landmarks, and other matters essential to air navigation. As of the end of FY 1995, JMSA had published 12 World Aeronautical Charts based on the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as three aeronautical route charts dividing Japan into three areas, the northern, central, and southwestern areas, and ten domestic aeronautical charts, all based on the aforementioned standards .
(2) Providing Maritime Safety Information
JMSA provides information required for the safety of vessel traffic through printed matter in the form of Notices to Mariners and Regional Notices to Mariners. In addition, it uses radio communications to provides Japan Navigational Warnings, Regional Maritime
