The author summarized a history of development of groundwater hydrology in Japan. In general, the historical development of hydrology can be viewed through a series of periods and through series of events and articles such as number of books, papers and theories related to groundwater studies.
Correlating to the historical division of Chow, Ven Te and that of Hida, N. et al., he proposed the division of development of groundwater hydrology in Japan as follows:
a) Period of noninterference study (_??_1940), I-II1
b) Period of study of researcher's own free will ('40_??_'50), II2
c) Period of study under governmental readerships ('50_??_'55), II3
d) Period of cooperation with government and researcher ('55_??_'60), II3
e) Period of independant and free study ('60_??_date), III
Since these periods may overlap, their time division should not be considered exact. Generally speaking, all stages correspond to that of Chow's but those begin on about ten years later than those of western one.
He tried to explain such a stage of development by political and socio-economic situations and stimulation of UNESCO's IHD. Because groundwater science is an interdisciplinal and practical science for needs of water resources in a country.
Finally, he pointed out present problems of modern groundwater sciences on data with regards to accurracy, collection and coordinations, terminology and its redefinition, and groundwater law in Japan.
