With the world facing the prospect of more extreme weather events including droughts, Japan is one of a number of countries making efforts to advance artificial rain technology to help mitigate water shortages when rainfall is sparse.
In Tokyo, metropolitan authorities set up artificial rain generators on the eve of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics last year with the aim of increasing the amount of water stored in dams during dry spells.
One is erected inside a newly built shed near Ogouchi Dam, upstream of the Tama River system in Okutama, western Tokyo. Pipes stretch around a silver-colored tank connected to a retractable roof in the facility, dubbed the Ogouchi Smoke Station.