View source for Sea of Japan

{{short description|Marginal sea between Japan, Russia and Korea}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
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<!-- the Korean name is already mentioned in the #Names section. Do not add it to the lead without consensus on the talk page. -->
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = Sea of Japan
| pic = [[File:Sea of Japan Map en.png|250px]] 
| piccap = Sea of Japan map
| c = {{linktext|日本|海}}
| p = Rìběn Hǎi
| kanji = 日本海 
| hiragana = にほんかい
| revhep = Nihon-kai 
| nkhangul = 조선동해
| nkhanja = 朝鮮東海
| nkrr = Joseon Donghae 
| nkmr = Chosŏn Tonghae 
|  nklk = East Sea of Korea
| skhangul = 동해 
|  skhanja = 東海
| skrr = Donghae 
| skmr = Tonghae 
| sklk = East Sea
| rus = [[wikt:японский|Японское]] [[wikt:море|море]] 
| rusr = Yaponskoye more
| lang1 = Manchu 
| lang1_content = {{lang|mnc|{{ManchuSibeUnicode|[[:wikt:ᡩᡝᡵᡤᡳ ᠮᡝᡩᡝᡵᡳ|ᡩᡝᡵᡤᡳ<br>ᠮᡝᡩᡝᡵᡳ]]}}}}<br>''dergi mederi''
| ibox-order = zh,ja,ko3,ko4,ru}}
The '''Sea of Japan''' {{crossreference|([[#Names|see below]] for other names)}} is the [[marginal sea]] between the [[Japanese archipelago]], [[Sakhalin]], the [[Korean Peninsula]], and the mainland of the [[Russian Far East]]. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Like the [[Mediterranean Sea]], it has almost no [[tide]]s due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific Ocean.<ref name="tides">{{cite web|url=http://www.ssc.erc.msstate.edu/Tides2D/sea_of_japan.html |title=Tides in Marginal, Semi-Enclosed and Coastal Seas – Part I: Sea Surface Height |publisher=ERC-Stennis at Mississippi State University |access-date=2 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040318165044/http://www.ssc.erc.msstate.edu/Tides2D/sea_of_japan.html |archive-date=18 March 2004 }}</ref> This isolation also affects faunal diversity and [[salinity]], both of which are lower than in the open ocean. The sea has no large islands, bays or capes. Its water balance is mostly determined by the inflow and outflow through the straits connecting it to the neighboring seas and the Pacific Ocean. Few rivers discharge into the sea and their total contribution to the water exchange is within 1%.

The seawater has an elevated concentration of [[Oxygen saturation|dissolved oxygen]] that results in high biological productivity. Therefore, fishing is the dominant economic activity in the region. The intensity of shipments across the sea has been moderate owing to political issues, but it is steadily increasing as a result of the growth of [[East Asia]]n economies.

==Names==
''Sea of Japan'' is the dominant term used in English for the sea. The sea is called {{lang|ja-Latn|Nihon kai}} ({{lang|ja|日本海}}, literally 'Japan Sea') in Japan, {{lang|zh-Latn|Rìběn hǎi}} ({{lang|zh|日本海}}, 'Japan Sea') or originally {{lang|zh-Latn|Jīng hǎi}} ({{lang|zh|鲸海}}, 'Whale Sea') in China,<ref name="鲸海">2006. [http://www.360doc.com/content/16/1124/07/18841360_609063920.shtml “鲸海”这个名字如何改成了“日本海”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828012235/http://www.360doc.com/content/16/1124/07/18841360_609063920.shtml |date=2017-08-28 }}. Retrieved on 7 March 2017</ref> {{lang|ru-Latn|Yaponskoye more}} ({{lang|ru|Японское море}}, 'Japanese Sea') in Russia, {{transliteration|ko|Chosŏn Tonghae}} ({{lang|ko-KP|조선동해}}, literally 'Korean East Sea') in [[North Korea]], and {{transliteration|ko|Donghae}} ({{lang|ko-KR|동해}}, literally 'East Sea') in [[South Korea]].

===Naming dispute===
{{main|Sea of Japan naming dispute}}

The naming of the sea is the subject of an ongoing dispute. Japan uses the name “Sea of Japan” and asserts that it has been the internationally accepted term since the early 19th century.<ref name="r1">[https://www.mofa.go.jp/a_o/na/page1we_000109.html The Issue of Name “Sea of Japan”], The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan</ref> In contrast, South Korea contends that the “East Sea” was historically used before [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese colonial rule]],<ref>[https://www.korea.net/Government/Current-Affairs/National-Affairs/view?affairId=83&subId=236&articleId=1044 East Sea],  Korea.net</ref><ref>[https://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/wpge/m_5435/contents.do East Sea],  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea</ref> and officially requests that it be used alongside “Sea of Japan”. North Korea advocates for the name “East Sea of Korea”.<ref>[https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/maritime/japan/effort0303.html Efforts of the Government of Japan in Response to the Issue of the Name of the Sea of Japan (1) The 8th UNCSGN], The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan</ref>

''[[Limits of Oceans and Seas]]'' (S-23), published by the [[International Hydrographic Organization]] (IHO), had been using the name “Japan Sea” since it was first published in 1928. It has not been updated since 1953 and is not able to effectively serve as an international standard in today’s digital environment. In 2020, the IHO decided to develop a new digital standard, S-130, to meet modern [[Geographic information system|Geographic Information System]] (GIS) requirements and replace the geographic names in S-23 with unique identifiers for each maritime area in S-130.<ref>
[https://iho.int/uploads/user/About%20IHO/Assembly/Assembly2/A-2_DECISIONS_EN.pdf Decisions of the 2nd Session of the IHO Assembly], International Hydrographic Organization.
</ref><ref>
[https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20201117003752325 “IHO reaches agreement on identifying seas with numbers amid East Sea naming row“], Yonhap News Agency on 17 November 2020.
</ref>  The IHO Secretary-General stated that S-23, the previous version of the nautical chart made in 1953 will be kept publicly available simply to demonstrate the evolutionary process from the analogue to the digital era.<ref>
[https://iho.int/uploads/user/About%20IHO/Assembly/Assembly2/DOCUMENTS/A2_2020_PRO_1.9_v1.pdf Report on the informal consultation process for the future of S-23], International Hydrographic Organization.
</ref>

==History==
For centuries, the sea had protected Japan from land invasions, particularly by the Mongols. It had long been navigated by Asian and, from the 18th century, by European ships. Russian expeditions of 1733–1743 mapped Sakhalin and the Japanese islands. In the 1780s, the Frenchman [[Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse]], traveled northward across the sea through the [[La Pérouse Strait|strait later named after him]]. In 1796, a British naval officer, [[William Robert Broughton]], explored the Strait of Tartary, the eastern coast of the [[Russian Far East]] and the [[Korean Peninsula]].

In 1803–1806, the Russian navigator [[Adam Johann von Krusenstern]] while sailing across the globe in the ship ''Nadezhda'' also explored, in passing, the Sea of Japan and the eastern shores of Japanese [[islands]]. In 1849, another Russian explorer [[Gennady Nevelskoy]] discovered the strait between the continent and Sakhalin and mapped the northern part of the Strait of Tartary. Russian expeditions were made in 1853–1854 and 1886–1889 to measure the surface temperatures and record the tides. They also documented the cyclonal character of the sea currents.

Other notable expeditions of the 19th century include the [[United States|American]] [[North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition]] (1853–1856) and [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] [[Challenger expedition]] (1872–1876). The aquatic life was described by V. K. Brazhnikov in 1899–1902 and P. Yu. Schmidt in 1903–1904. The Japanese scientific studies of the sea began only in 1915 and became systematic since the 1920s.<ref name=brit/><ref name=bse/>

[[United States|American]], [[Canada|Canadian]] and [[France|French]] [[whaler|whaleships]] cruised for whales in the sea between 1847 and 1892.<ref>''Athol'', of St. John, 8 June – 10 August 1847, NBW 1335; ''Vesper'', of New London, 20 April – 26 August 1848, G. W. Blunt White Library (GBWL); ''Northern Light'', of New Bedford, 14 May – 22 July 1875, Old Dartmouth Historical Society (ODHS); ''Cape Horn Pigeon'', of New Bedford, 17 April – 13 July 1892, Kendall Whaling Museum (KWM).</ref> Most entered the sea via [[Korea Strait]]<ref>''Splendid'', of Edgartown, 17 April 1848, Nicholson Whaling Collection (NWC); ''Fortune'', of New Bedford, 12 March 1849, ODHS; ''Sea Breeze'', of New Bedford, 14 April 1874, GWBL.</ref> and left via [[La Pérouse Strait]],<ref>''Bowditch'', of Warren, 2 August 1848, NWC; ''Arnolda'', of New Bedford, 17 June 1874, ODHS.</ref> but some entered and exited via [[Tsugaru Strait]].<ref>''Good Return'', of New Bedford, 30 April 1849, ODHS; ''Milo'', of New Bedford, 16–18 Apr. 1850, ODHS.</ref> They primarily targeted [[North Pacific right whale|right whales]],<ref>''Eliza Adams'', of Fairhaven, 21 April – 4 August 1848, ODHS; ''Huntress'', of New Bedford, 4 May – 3 July 1848, NWC.</ref> but began catching [[humpback whale|humpbacks]] as right whale catches declined.<ref>''Florida'', of Fairhaven, 12–27 May 1860, in ''One Whaling Family'' (Williams, 1964); ''Sea Breeze'', of New Bedford, 11–12 May, 4–5 June 1874, GWBL.</ref> They also made attempts to catch [[blue whale|blue]]<ref>''George Washington'', of Wareham, 16 May 1849, ODHS; ''Florida'', of Fairhaven, 5 May 1860, in ''One Whaling Family'' (Williams, 1964).</ref> and [[fin whale]]s,<ref>''Daniel Wood'', of New Bedford, 6 April 1854, NWC.</ref> but these species invariably sank after being killed. Right whales were caught from March to September,<ref>''Henry Kneeland'', of New Bedford, 1 September 1852, in ''Enoch's Voyage'' (1994), pp. 153–154.</ref> with peak catches in May and June.<ref>Catch of right whales by month based on over 510 whales caught during 71 vessel seasons from 1847 to 1891: June (31.7%), May (28.8%), July (19.9%), April (11.8%), and August (5.4%).</ref> During the peak years of 1848 and 1849 a total of over 170 vessels (over 60 in 1848, and over 110 in 1849) cruised in the Sea of Japan,<ref>Ships spoken in 1848 by ''Vesper'' (GBWL); ''Eliza Adams'' (ODHS); ''Splendid'' (NWC); ''Bowditch'' (NWC); ''Huntress'' (NWC); ''Liverpool 2nd'', of New Bedford (NWC); ''Cherokee'', of New Bedford (NWC); and ''Mechanic'', of Newport (NWC); ''Hannibal'', of Sag Harbor (EHL); ''Josephine'', of Sag Harbor (EHL); ''John Jay'', of Sag Harbor (NHA); in 1849 by ''Huntress'' (NWC); ''Good Return'' (ODHS); ''Fortune'' (ODHS); ''Ocmulgee'', of Holmes Hole (ODHS); ''Mary and Susan'' (NWC); ''Maria Theresa'', of New Bedford (ODHS); ''George Washington'' (ODHS); ''Liverpool 2nd'' (NWC); ''Julian'', of New Bedford (NWC); ''Henry Kneeland'', of New Bedford (ODHS), ''Montpelier'', of New Bedford (NWC), ''Cambria'', of New Bedford (NWC), ''India'', of New Bedford (ODHS), and ''Phoenix'', of New Bedford (NHA); ''N. P. Tallmadge'', ''Pioneer'', and ''Superior'', of New London (GBWL), ''Alpha'', of Nantucket (NHA), and ''Prudent'', of Stonington (GBWL).</ref> with significantly lesser numbers in following years.<ref>Ships spoken in 1856 by ''Pacific'', of Fairhaven (NWC), and ''Onward'', of New Bedford (NWC); and from 1859 to 1861 by ''Florida'', of Fairhaven, in ''One Whaling Family'' (Williams, 1964).</ref>

==Geography and geology==
[[File:Sea of Japan descr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Relief of the Sea of Japan and nearby areas]]
[[File:Sea of Japan Early Miocene map.svg|thumb|Map showing [[Japanese archipelago]], Sea of Japan and surrounding part of continental East Asia in [[Early Miocene]] (23–18 Ma)]]
[[File:Sea of Japan Pliocene map.svg|thumb|Map showing Japanese archipelago, Sea of Japan and surrounding part of continental East Asia in [[Middle Pliocene]] to [[Late Pliocene]] (3.5–2 Ma)]]

The Sea of Japan was landlocked when the [[land bridge]] of [[East Asia]] existed.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W_Hdu9QrD9YC&pg=PA16|title=Pre-Industrial Korea and Japan in Environmental Perspective|first=Conrad D.|last=Totman|year=2004|publisher=BRILL |access-date=2 February 2007|isbn=978-9004136267}}</ref> The Japan Arc started to form in the [[Early Miocene]].<ref name="Kameda 2011"/> In the Early Miocene the Japan Sea started to open, and the northern and southern parts of the [[Japanese archipelago]] separated from each other.<ref name="Kameda 2011"/> During the Miocene, the Sea of Japan expanded.<ref name="Kameda 2011"/>

The north part of the Japanese archipelago was further fragmented later until [[orogenesis]] of the north-eastern Japanese archipelago began in the later [[Late Miocene]].<ref name="Kameda 2011"/> The south part of the Japanese archipelago remained as a relatively large landmass.<ref name="Kameda 2011"/> The land area had expanded northward in the Late Miocene.<ref name="Kameda 2011"/> The orogenesis of high mountain ranges in north-eastern Japan started in Late Miocene and lasted in [[Pliocene]] also.<ref name="Kameda 2011"/> The [[Eastern margin of the Sea of Japan|eastern margin]] of the sea may host an incipient [[subduction]] zone responsible for large earthquakes in [[1940 Shakotan earthquake|1940]], [[1964 Niigata earthquake|1964]], [[1983 Sea of Japan earthquake|1983]] and [[1993 Okushiri earthquake|1993]].<ref name="Tamaki85">{{cite journal |last1=Tamaki |first1=Kensaku |last2=Honza |first2=Eiichi |title=Incipient subduction and deduction along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea |journal=[[Tectonophysics (journal)|Tectonophysics]] |date=20 October 1985 |volume=119 |issue=1–4 |pages=381–406 |doi=10.1016/0040-1951(85)90047-2 |bibcode=1985Tectp.119..381T |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0040195185900472 |access-date=20 June 2022|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Nowadays the Sea of Japan is bounded by the Russian mainland and [[Sakhalin]] island to the north, the [[Korean Peninsula]] to the west, and the Japanese islands of [[Hokkaidō]], [[Honshū]] and [[Kyūshū]] to the east and south. It is connected to other seas by five [[strait]]s: the [[Strait of Tartary]] between the [[Asia]]n mainland and Sakhalin; [[La Pérouse Strait]] between Sakhalin and Hokkaidō; the [[Tsugaru Strait]] between Hokkaidō and Honshū; the [[Kanmon Straits]] between Honshū and Kyūshū; and the [[Korea Strait]] between the [[Korean Peninsula]] and Kyūshū.

The [[Korea Strait]] is composed of the Western Channel and the [[Tsushima Strait]], on either side of [[Tsushima Island]]. The straits were formed in recent geologic periods. The oldest of them are the Tsugaru and Tsushima straits. Their formation had interrupted the migration of elephants into the Japanese islands at the end of the [[Neogene]] Period (about 2.6&nbsp;million years ago). The most recent is La Perouse Strait, which formed about 60,000 to 11,000 years ago closing the path used by mammoths which had earlier moved to northern Hokkaidō.<ref name=brit/> All the straits are rather shallow, with a minimal depth of the order of 100 meters or less. This hinders water exchange, thereby isolating the water and aquatic life of the Sea of Japan from the neighboring seas and oceans.<ref name=rev/>

The sea has a surface area of about {{cvt|1050000|km2|sqmi}}, a mean depth of {{cvt|1,752|m|ft}} and a maximum depth of {{cvt|4568|m|ft}}. It has a carrot-like shape, with the major axis extending from south-west to north-east and a wide southern part narrowing toward the north. The coastal length is about {{cvt|7600|km|mi}} with the largest part ({{cvt|3240|km|mi|disp=or}}) belonging to Russia. The sea extends from north to south for more than {{cvt|2255|km|mi}} and has a maximum width of about {{cvt|1070|km|mi}}.<ref name=bse>[http://bse.sci-lib.com/article128477.html Sea of Japan], [[Great Soviet Encyclopedia]] (in Russian)</ref>

It has three major [[ocean basin|basins]]: the ''Yamato Basin'' in the south-east, the ''Japan Basin'' in the north and the ''[[Tsushima Basin]] (Ulleung Basin)'' in the south-west.<ref name=brit>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/300960/Sea-of-Japan Sea of Japan], Encyclopædia Britannica on-line</ref> The Japan Basin is of oceanic origin and is the deepest part of the sea, whereas the Tsushima Basin is the shallowest with the depths below {{cvt|2300|m|ft}}.<ref name = bse/> On the eastern shores, the [[continental shelves]] of the sea are wide, but on the western shores, particularly along the Korean coast, they are narrow, averaging about {{cvt|30|km|mi}}.<ref name=rev/>

There are three distinct continental shelves in the northern part (above 44°&nbsp;N). They form a staircase-like structure with the steps slightly inclined southwards and submerged to the depths of {{convert|900|-|1400|m|abbr=values}}, {{convert|1700|-|2000|m|abbr=values}} and {{cvt|2300|-|2600|m|ft}}. The last step sharply drops to the depths of about {{cvt|3500|m|ft}} toward the central (deepest) part of the sea. The bottom of this part is relatively flat, but has a few plateaus. In addition, an underwater ridge rising up to {{cvt|3500|m|ft}} runs from north to south through the middle of the central part.<ref name=rev/>

The Japanese coastal area of the sea consists of Okujiri Ridge, Sado Ridge, Hakusan Banks, Wakasa Ridge and Oki Ridge. Yamato Ridge is of continental origin and is composed of [[granite]], [[rhyolite]], [[andesite]] and [[basalt]]. It has an uneven bottom covered with boulders of volcanic rock. Most other areas of the sea are of oceanic origin. Seabed down to {{cvt|300|m|ft}} is of continental nature and is covered with a mixture of mud, sand, gravel and fragments of rock. The depths between {{cvt|300|and|800|m|ft}} are covered in hemipelagic sediments (i.e., of semi-oceanic origin); these sediments are composed of blue mud rich in organic matter. Pelagic sediments of red mud dominate the deeper regions.<ref name=brit/>

There are no large islands in the sea. Most of the smaller ones are near the eastern coast, except for [[Ulleungdo]] (South Korea). The most significant islands are [[Moneron Island|Moneron]], [[Rebun Island|Rebun]], [[Rishiri Island|Rishiri]], [[Okushiri Island|Okushiri]], [[Ōshima, Hokkaidō|Ōshima]], [[Sado, Niigata|Sado]], [[Okinoshima, Munakata|Okinoshima]], [[Ulleungdo]], Askold, [[Russky Island|Russky]] and Putyatin. The shorelines are relatively straight and lack large bays and capes; the coastal shapes are simplest in Sakhalin and are more winding in the Japanese islands.

The largest bays are [[Peter the Great Gulf]], [[Sovetskaya Gavan]]; Vladimira Bay, [[Olga Bay|Olga]]; [[Posyet Bay]] in Russia; [[East Korea Bay]] in North Korea; and [[Ishikari Bay|Ishikari]] (Hokkaidō), [[Toyama Bay|Toyama]] (Honshū), and [[Wakasa Bay|Wakasa]] (Honshū) Bays in Japan. Prominent capes include Lazareva, Peschanyi (sandy), [[Cape Povorotny|Povorotny]], Gromova, [[Pogibi]], Tyk, and Korsakova in Russia; [[Cape Crillon|Crillon]] on [[Sakhalin]]; [[Cape Sōya|Sōya]], [[Cape Nosappu|Nosappu]], [[Cape Tappi|Tappi]], Nyuda, [[Rebun Island|Rebun]], [[Rishiri Island|Rishiri]], [[Okushiri Island|Okushiri]], [[Sado, Niigata|Daso]] and [[Oki Islands|Oki]] in Japan;<ref name=rev>A. D. Dobrovolskyi and B. S. Zalogin [http://tapemark.narod.ru/more/19.html Seas of USSR. Sea of Japan], Moscow University (1982) (in Russian)</ref><ref name=bse/> and [[Musu Dan]] in North Korea.

As world sea level dropped during the ice cap advances of the [[Last glacial period|last Ice Age]], the exit straits of the Sea of Japan one by one dried and closed. There is controversy as to whether or not in each ice cap advance the world sea level fell low enough for the deepest, the western channel of the [[Korea Strait]], to dry and close, turning the Sea of Japan into a huge cold inland lake with a surface layer of fresh water, freezing over in the winters.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1007/s003670000039|title = Last glacial sea-level changes and paleogeography of the Korea (Tsushima) Strait|journal = Geo-Marine Letters|volume = 20|issue = 2|pages = 64–71|year = 2000|last1 = Park|first1 = S.-C|last2 = Yoo|first2 = D.-G|last3 = Lee|first3 = C.-W|last4 = Lee|first4 = E.-I|bibcode = 2000GML....20...64P|s2cid = 128476723}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Full-orbed sunrise over East Sea in South Korea.JPG|Sunrise over the Sea of Japan filmed in South Korea
File:Январское побережье Японского моря в Хасанском районе.jpg|The Sea of Japan seen from the south of [[Slavyanka, Primorsky Krai|Slavyanka]]. From a distance, the two islands of Antipenko (left) and [[Sibiryakov Island (Primorsky Krai)|Sibiryakov]] (right).
File:Бухта Сибирякова.jpg|A bay at [[Sibiryakov Island (Primorsky Krai)|Sibiryakov Island]], {{cvt|50|km|mi}} south from Vladivostok
File:Закат на Воеводского.jpg|Sunset on {{ill|Little Verkhovsky Islands|ru|Острова Верховского}} near Vladivostok
</gallery>

==Climate==
[[File:Von Karman vortices off Rishiri Island, Japan.jpg|thumb|[[Kármán vortex street|Von Kármán vortices]] off the coast of [[Rishiri Island]]<ref name=nasa>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010626154042/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-100/html/sts100-710-182.html STS-100 Shuttle Mission Imagery], NASA, 19 April – 1 May 2001</ref>]]

The sea climate has warm waters and monsoons. This combination results in strong evaporation, which is especially noticeable between October and March when the strong ({{cvt|12|-|15|m/s|disp=sqbr}} or higher) north-western monsoon wind brings cold and dry continental air. The evaporation is blown further south, causing snowfall in the mountainous western coasts of Japan. This winter monsoon brings typhoons and storms, with the waves reaching {{cvt|8|-|10|m|ft}} which erode the western coasts of Japan. [[Tsunami]] waves have also been recorded in the sea. In addition, the monsoon enhances the surface water convection, down to the depths of {{cvt|30|m|ft}}.

The coldest months are January and February, with an average air temperature of {{convert|-20|C|F}} in the north and {{convert|5|C|F}} in the south. The northern one-quarter of the sea, particularly the Siberian coast and the Strait of Tartary, freezes for about 4−5 months.<ref name=brit/> The timing and extent of freezing vary from year to year, so ice may start forming in the bays as early as October and its remains may be seen even in June. Ice cover is continuous only in the bays and forms floating patches in the open sea. Ice melting in spring results in cold currents in the northern areas.<ref name=rev/>

In summer the wind weakens to {{cvt|2|-|7|m/s}} and reverses its direction, blowing warm and humid air from the North Pacific onto the Asian mainland. The warmest month is August, with an average air temperature of {{convert|15|C|F}} in the north and {{convert|25|C|F}} in the south.<ref name=rev/> Annual precipitation increases from {{cvt|310|-|500|mm|in}} in the north-west to {{cvt|1500|-|2000|mm|in}} in the south-east.<ref name=bse/>

A peculiar turbulent cloud pattern, named [[Kármán vortex street|von Kármán vortices]], is sometimes observed over the Sea of Japan. It requires a stable field of low clouds driven by the wind over a small (isolated) and tall obstacle, and usually forms over small mountainous islands.<ref name=nasa/> The Sea of Japan meets these conditions as it has frequent winds and cloudy skies, as well as compact, tall islands such as [[Rishiri Island|Rishiri]] ({{cvt|1721|m|ft|disp=or}}), [[Ulleungdo]] ({{cvt|984|m|ft|disp=or}}) and [[Ōshima, Hokkaidō|Ōshima]] ({{cvt|732|m|ft|disp=or}}).

==Extent==
{{One source section
| date = October 2021
}}
The [[International Hydrographic Organization]] defines the limits of the "Japan Sea" as follows:<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf|title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition|year=1953|publisher=International Hydrographic Organization|page=32|access-date=29 April 2020}}</ref>

{{blockquote|''On the Southwest.'' The Northeastern limit of the [[East China Sea|Eastern China Sea]] [From Nomo Saki (32°35′&nbsp;N) in [[Kyūshū|Kyusyu]] to the South point of [[Fukuejima|Hukae Sima]] ([[Gotō Islands|Goto Retto]]) and on through this island to Ose Saki (Cape Goto) and to Hunan Kan, the South point of [[Jeju Island|Saisyu To]] (Quelpart), through this island to its Western extreme and thence along the parallel of 33°17′&nbsp;North to the mainland] and the Western limit of the [[Seto Inland Sea|Inland Sea]] [defined circuitously as "The Southeastern limit of the Japan Sea"].

''On the Southeast.'' In [[Kanmon Straits|Simonoseki Kaikyo]]. A line running from Nagoya Saki (130°49′,5&nbsp;E) in [[Kyūshū|Kyûsyû]] through the islands of Uma Sima and Muture Sima (33°58′,5&nbsp;N) to Murasaki Hana (34°01′&nbsp;N) in [[Honshū|Honsyû]].

''On the East.'' In the [[Tsugaru Strait|Tsugaru Kaikô]]. From the extremity of Siriya Saki (141°28′&nbsp;E) to the extremity of Esan Saki (41°48′&nbsp;N).

''On the Northeast.'' In [[La Pérouse Strait|La Perouse Strait]] (Sôya Kaikyô). A line joining [[Cape Sōya|Sôni Misaki]] and Nishi Notoro Misaki (45°55′&nbsp;N).

''On the North.'' From Cape Tuik (51°45′&nbsp;N) to Cape Sushcheva.<ref name="auto"/>}}

==Hydrology==
[[File:Tategami-Rock6983.JPG|thumb|Tategami rock]]
[[File:Mitsukejima (Ishikawa) 1.jpg|thumb|[[Mitsukejima]], "Battleship Island"]]
The sea currents circulate in the counterclockwise direction. The Kuroshio (Japan Current), the Tsushima Current and the East Korea Warm Current bring warmer and more saline water to the north. There they merge into the Tsugaru Current and flow into the Pacific Ocean through the Tsugaru Strait. They also feed the Sōya Current and exit through the La Perouse Strait to the Sea of Okhotsk. The returning branch is composed of the Liman, North Korea and Central (or Mid-) Japan Sea currents which bring fresh and cold water along the Asian coast to the south.<ref name=brit/>

Water temperature is mostly affected by exchange with the atmosphere in the northern part of the sea and by the currents in the southern part. Winter temperatures are {{convert|0|C|F}} or below in the north and {{convert|10|-|14|C|F}} in the south. In this season, there is a significant temperature difference between the western and eastern parts owing to the circular currents. So at the latitude of Peter the Great Gulf, the water temperature is about {{convert|0|C|F}} in the west and {{convert|5|-|6|C|F}} in the east. This east-west difference drops to {{convert|1|–|2|C-change}} in summer, and the temperatures rise to {{convert|18|-|20|C|F}} in the north and {{convert|25|-|27|C|F}} in the south.<ref name=rev/>

Because the sea is enclosed, its waters form clearly separated layers which may show seasonal and spatial dependence. In winter, the temperature is almost constant with the depth in the northern part of the sea. However, in central-southern parts, it may be {{convert|8|-|10|C|F}} down to {{cvt|100|-|150|m|ft}}, {{convert|2|-|4|C|F}} at {{cvt|200|-|250|m|ft}}, {{convert|1.0|-|1.5|C|F}} at {{cvt|400|-|500|m|ft}} and then remain at about {{convert|0|C|F}} until the bottom. Heating by the sun and tropical monsoons increases the depth gradient in spring–summer.

In the north the surface layer (down to {{cvt|15|m|ft|disp=or}}) may heat up to {{convert|18|-|20|C|F}}. The temperature would drop sharply to {{convert|4|C|F}} at {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}, then slowly decrease to {{convert|1|C|F}} at {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}} and remain so down to the seabed. On the contrary, the temperature in the south could gradually decrease to {{convert|6|C|F}} at {{convert|200|m|ft|abbr=on}}, then to {{convert|2|C|F}} at {{convert|260|m|abbr=on}} and to {{convert|0.04|-|0.14|C|F}} at {{convert|1000|-|1500|m|ft|abbr=on}}, but then it would rise to about {{convert|0.3|C|F}} near the bottom. This cold layer at about {{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}} is formed by sinking of cold water in the northern part of the sea in winter and is brought south by the sea currents; it is rather stable and is observed all through the year.<ref name=brit/><ref name=rev/>

The hydrological isolation of the Sea of Japan also results in slightly lower average water salinity (34.09‰, where ‰ means parts per thousand) compared with the Pacific Ocean. In winter, the highest salinity at 34.5‰ is observed in the south where evaporation dominates over precipitation. It is the lowest at 33.8‰ in the south-east and south-west because of frequent rains, and remains at about 34.09‰ in most other parts.

Thawing of ice in spring reduces water salinity in the north, but it remains high at 34.60–34.70‰ in the south, partly because of the inflow of salty water through the [[Korea Strait]]. A typical variation of salinity across the sea in summer is 31.5‰ to 34.5‰ from north to south. The depth distribution of salinity is relatively constant. The surface layer tends to be more fresh in the sea parts which experience ice melting and rains.<ref name=rev/> The average water density is 1.0270&nbsp;g/cm<sup>3</sup> in the north and 1.0255&nbsp;g/cm<sup>3</sup> in the south in winter. It lowers in summer to 1.0253 and 1.0215&nbsp;g/cm<sup>3</sup>, respectively.<ref name=bse/>

[[File:国际客运列车在图们江铁路桥上行驶，离开朝鲜进入俄罗斯 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The [[Tumen River]] flows into the Sea of Japan. The last 17&nbsp;km of the river form the [[North Korea–Russia border|border between North Korea and Russia]]. This picture is of the [[Korea Russia Friendship Bridge]] that crosses the Tumen River.]]
[[File:Sopka Sestra and Partizanskaya River.JPG|thumb|The mouth of [[Partizanskaya River]] near [[Nakhodka]]. View from {{ill|Sopka Sestra|ru|Сестра (гора)}}.]]

Few rivers flow into the Sea of Japan from mainland [[Asia]], the largest being [[Tumen River|Tumen]],<ref name=bse/> Rudnaya, Samarga, [[Partizanskaya River|Partizanskaya]] and Tumnin; all of them have a mountainous character. In contrast, numerous large rivers flow from Honshū and Hokkaidō into the sea, including Japan's four largest rivers: the [[Shinano River|Shinano]], [[Ishikari River|Ishikari]], [[Agano River|Agano]] and [[Mogami River|Mogami]]. The total annual river discharge into the sea is {{cvt|210|km3}} and is relatively constant through the year, except for a minor increase in July.<ref name=rev/> Most water (97% or {{cvt|52200|km3|disp=sqbr}}) flows into the sea through the Korea Strait and discharges through the Tsugaru (64% or {{cvt|34610|km3|disp=sqbr}}, La Pérouse {{cvt|10380|km3|disp=sqbr}}) and Korea straits. Rainfall, evaporation and riverine inflow make only 1% of the water balance. Between October and April, the outflow exceeds the inflow due to the lower income through the Korea Strait; this balance reverses between May and September.<ref name=rev/><ref name=bse/>

The sea has complex [[tide]]s, which are induced by the tidal wave of the Pacific Ocean penetrating through the [[Korea Strait]] and Tsugaru strait. The tides are semi-diurnal (rise twice a day) in the Korea Strait and in the northern part of the Strait of Tartary. They are diurnal at the eastern shore of Korea, [[Russian Far East]] and the Japanese islands of Honshū and Hokkaidō. Mixed tides occur in [[Peter the Great Gulf]] and Korea strait. The tidal waves have a speed of {{cvt|10|-|25|cm/s|0}} in the open sea. They accelerate in the Korea Strait ({{cvt|40|-|60|cm/s|disp=or}}), La Pérouse Strait ({{cvt|50|-|100|cm/s|disp=or|-1}}) and especially in the Tsugaru Strait ({{cvt|100|-|200|cm/s|disp=or|-1}}).

The amplitude of the tides is relatively low and varies strongly across the sea. It reaches 3 meters in the south near the [[Korea]] Strait, but quickly drops northwards to {{cvt|1.5|m|ft|0}} at the southern tip of Korean Peninsula and to {{cvt|0.5|m|ft}} at the North Korean shores. Similar low tides are observed in Hokkaidō, Honshū and south Sakhalin. The amplitude however increases to {{cvt|2.3|-|2.8|m|ft}} toward the north of the Strait of Tartary due to its funnel-like shape. Apart from tides, the water level also displays seasonal, monsoon-related variations across the entire sea with the highest levels observed in summer and lowest in winter. Wind may also locally change the water level by {{cvt|20|-|25|cm|in|0}}; for example, it is higher in summer at the Korean and lower at the Japanese coasts.<ref name=rev/>

The sea waters have blue to green-blue color and a transparency of about {{cvt|10|m|ft}}. They are rich in [[dissolved oxygen]], especially in the western and northern parts, which are colder and have more [[phytoplankton]] than the eastern and southern areas. The oxygen concentration is 95% of the saturation point near the surface; it decreases with the depth to about 70% at {{cvt|3000|m|ft}}.<ref name=rev/><ref name=bse/>

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:107 0798 Sivuchi wiki.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sea lions]] on Moneron Island]]
The high concentration of dissolved [[oxygen]] results in the rich aquatic life of the Sea of Japan – there are more than 800 species of aquatic plants and more than 3,500 animal species, including more than 900 species of crustaceans, about 1,000 of fish and 26 of mammals. The coastal areas contain several kg/m<sup>2</sup> of biomass. [[Pelagic fish|Pelagic]] (oceanic) fishes include [[Pacific saury|saury]], mackerel, [[Trachurus|Jack mackerels]], sardines, anchovies, herring, [[Sparidae|sea bream]], squid and various species of salmon and trout. The [[Demersal fish|demersal]] (sea-bottom) fishes include [[cod]], [[pollock]] and [[Atka mackerel]].

Mammals are represented by seals and whales (ancient name for the basin in Chinese was "Sea of Whales"<ref name=鲸海 />), and the crustaceans by shrimps and crabs.<ref name=brit/> Because of the shallow straits connecting the sea with Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan has no characteristic oceanic deep-water fauna.<ref name=bse/> Flora and fauna unique to the region near the Sea of Japan are known as "Japan Sea elements".<ref name="Kameda 2011">Kameda Y. & Kato M. (2011). "Terrestrial invasion of pomatiopsid gastropods in the heavy-snow region of the Japanese Archipelago". ''[[BMC Evolutionary Biology]]'' '''11''': 118. {{doi|10.1186/1471-2148-11-118|doi-access=free}}.</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Center of Vladivostok and Zolotoy Rog.jpg|thumb|[[Zolotoy Rog]] bay near Vladivostok, Russia]]
[[File:Heishiiwa Rock Esashi crop.jpg|thumb|Heishi rock near [[Kamome Island]], Hokkaido]]

Fishery had long been the main economic activity on the Sea of Japan. It is mainly carried out on and near the continental shelves and focuses on herring, sardines and bluefin tuna. These species are however depleted from after [[World War II]]. Squid is mostly caught near the sea center and salmon near the northern and south-western shores.<ref name=brit/> There is also a well-developed seaweed production.<ref name=rev/>

The importance of the fishery in the sea is illustrated by the [[territorial dispute]]s between Japan and South Korea over [[Liancourt Rocks dispute|Liancourt Rocks]] and between Japan and Russia over the [[Kuril Islands dispute|Kuril Islands]]. It is also reflected in various legends, such as the [[Kamome Island|legend of the Heishi rock]], which says that once when herring vanished, an old fairy threw a bottle with magic water into the sea, and the herring returned. The bottle got stuck to the seabed and turned into a rock, which became a representation of the God of the Sea of Japan.<ref>[http://www.hiyama.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ss/srk/tabi/07esashi/parts/2703his.htm 瓶子岩] Official website of Hiyama Prefecture, Hokkaido (in Japanese)</ref><ref>[http://www.hokkaido-esashi.jp/kankou/kamomejima/top.htm かもめ島] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720104312/http://www.hokkaido-esashi.jp/kankou/kamomejima/top.htm |date=20 July 2011 }} Esashi Town Guide (in Japanese)</ref>

[[Vladivostok]] is a base for the Russian whaling fleet. Although it operates in the northern seas, its production is processed and partly distributed in the Vladivostok area. Vladivostok is also a terminal point of the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] which brings many goods to and from [[Free port of Vladivostok|this major port]]. There is [[Vanino-Kholmsk train ferry|a regular ferry service]] across the Strait of Tartary between the Russian continental port of [[Vanino, Khabarovsk Krai|Vanino]] and [[Kholmsk]] in Sakhalin.<ref name=rev/>

The sea has [[magnetite]] sands as well as [[natural gas]] and [[petroleum]] fields near the northern part of Japan and Sakhalin Island. The intensity of shipments across the sea is moderate, owing to the cold relations between many bordering countries. As a result, the largest Japanese ports are on the Pacific coast, and the significant ports on the Sea of Japan are [[Niigata (city)|Niigata]], [[Tsuruta, Aomori|Tsuruta]] and [[Maizuru, Kyoto|Maizuru]]. Major South Korean ports are [[Busan]], [[Ulsan]], and [[Pohang]] situated on the south-eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, but they also mainly target countries not bordering the Sea of Japan.

The major [[Russia]]n port of Vladivostok mainly serves inland cargos, whereas [[Nakhodka]] and [[Vostochny Port|Vostochny]] are more international and have a busy exchange with Japan and [[South Korea]]. Other prominent Russian ports are [[Sovetskaya Gavan]], [[Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky (town)|Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky]] and [[Kholmsk]], and the major ports of North Korea are [[Wonsan]], [[Hamhung]] and [[Chongjin]].<ref name=bse/> The intensity of shipments across the Sea of Japan is steadily increasing as a result of the growth of East Asian economies.<ref name=brit/>

==See also==
* [[Geography of Japan]]
* [[Geography of Korea]]
** [[Geography of North Korea]]
** [[Geography of South Korea]]
* [[Geography of Russia]]
* [[:Category:Islands of the Sea of Japan]]

==References==
This article incorporates CC-BY-2.0 text from this reference:<ref name="Kameda 2011"/>
{{reflist|35em}}

== Further reading ==
* Fukuoka N. (1966). "On the distribution patterns of the so-called Japan Sea elements confined to the Sea of Japan region". ''{{ill|Journal of Geobotany|es}}'' '''15''': 63–80.

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Sea of Japan}}
* {{wiktionary-inline|Sea of Japan}}
* [https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/maritime/japan/index.html "The Issue of Name 'Sea of Japan{{'"}}], [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)|MOFA, Japan]], 7 February 2017.　
** MOFA, Japan (10 August 2021), [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLEyi8b_yxk "Sea of Japan – The one and only name recognized by the international community" (Digest version)], ''YouTube''.
*[https://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/wpge/m_5435/contents.do East Sea] | Ministry of Foreign Affairs

{{List of seas}}

{{Authority control}}

{{coord|40|N|135|E|type:waterbody_scale:10000000|display=title}}

[[Category:Sea of Japan| ]]
[[Category:Bodies of water of Khabarovsk Krai]]
[[Category:Bodies of water of Primorsky Krai]]
[[Category:Bodies of water of Sakhalin Oblast]]
[[Category:Geography of Japan]]
[[Category:Geography of Korea]]
[[Category:Geography of Northeast Asia]]
[[Category:Geography of the Russian Far East]]
[[Category:Marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Marine ecoregions]]
[[Category:Miocene Asia]]
[[Category:Pacific Coast of Russia]]
[[Category:Seas of Asia|Japan]]
[[Category:Seas of Japan|Japan]]
[[Category:Seas of North Korea|Japan]]
[[Category:Seas of Russia|Japan]]
[[Category:Seas of South Korea|Japan]]
[[Category:Temperate Northern Pacific]]