Direct, continuous, and accurate measurements of solar ultraviolet irradiance (290-400 nm: UVR) have been carried out since 1990, by using both band-spectral ultraviolet-B (290-320 nm: UV-B) and ultraviolet-A (320-400 nm: UV-A) radiometers at Tokai University in Hiratsuka, Japan (35$^{circ}$N, 139$^{circ}$E). From our observations, the following findings are provided: 1) an increasing trend in solar UV -B from Oct. 1990 to Sept. 2000; 2) a regional comparison of solar UVR in Japan; 3) the distinct characteristics of UV-B and UV-A irradiance, such as diffuse property, daily and seasonal variation; and 4) human body protection against solar UVR. An increasing 10-year trend in global solar UV - B in Hiratsuka corresponded to a decrease in the total ozone amount measured at Tsukuba (36$^{circ}$N, 140$^{circ}$E), giving supportive evidence for a direct link between these two parameters. Furthermore, a strong correlation was found between solar UV-B and total ozone amount from results of UVR measurements at four Tokai University monitoring stations dispersed throughout Japan. Additional results revealed different diffuse properties in global solar UV and in global solar total (300-3000 nm: Total) irradiances. For example, in the global UVR, the diffuse component was dominant: about 80 % independent of weather, with more than 60 % of global UV-B, and more than 50% of global UV-A with even a cloudless clear sky. On the other hand, the portion of the diffuse in the global total irradiance was very low, less than 10 % on a cloudless clear day. Daily and seasonal variations of UV -B and UV -A irradiances were found to be quite different, because of the marked dependence of UV -B irradiance on the atmospheric ozone amount. Moreover, UV -B irradiance showed large daily and seasonal variations: the ratio between maximum and minimum irradiances was more than 5. In contrast, the variation in UV-A was small: the ratio between maximum and minimum was less than 2. Three important facts are proposed concerning solar UVR protection of the human body: 1) the personal minimal erythema dose (MED); 2) gender based difference in MED values; and 3) proper colors for UVR protective clothing.