1.
In July 1996, as part of the Global Change Prediction Plan, the promotion of research
& development for the Earth Simulator has been reported to the Science Technology
Agency, based on the report titled "For Realization of the Global Change
Prediction" made by the Aero-Electronics Technology Committee.
2. In April
1997, the budget for the development of the Earth Simulator was authorized to
be allocated to National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and Power Reactor
and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC). The Earth Simulator Research and
Development Center was established, with Dr. Miyoshi assigned for the director
of the center. The project had begun.
3. Discussions were made regarding the
Earth Simulator Project, at the meeting on the Earth Simulator under the Computer
Science Technology Promotion Council (Chairman: Prof. Taro Matsuno of Hokkaido
Univ.), which was held 6 times from March to July in 1997. With a report on "Promotion
of Earth Simulator Project", specific proposals were put forward to Science
and Technology Agency.
4. The conceptual system design of the Earth Simulator
proposed by NEC Corporation was selected by bidding.
5. Japan Atomic Energy
Research Institute (JAERI) had joined the project for PNC.
6. Under the Computer
Science Technology Promotion Council, the Earth Simulator Advisory Committee was
instituted with 7 members with profound knowledge in the area (Chairman: Prof.
Yoshio Oyanagi of Tokyo Univ.). From June to July in 1998, five meetings were
held on the basic design. As a result, in 24th of August it was confirmed with
"The Evaluation Report for the basic design of the Earth Simulator".
7.
In February 1999, JAMSTEC joined in the Earth Simulator development project and
decided to build the Earth Simulator facility in Kanazawa ward in Yokohama, where
it had been the industrial experiment station of Kanagawa prefecture. Manufacturing
the Earth Simulator had begun in March 2000, under NASDA, JEARI, and JAMSTEC.
After completion, the entire operation and management of the Earth Simulator was
decided to be solely charged by JAMSTEC.
