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82-568: The Sea of Okhotsk Coast (or Okhotsk Coast ) is split into natural major parts according to the delineation of the Sea of Okhotsk : its northwestern part, which is part of the mainland of Eastern Siberia ( Russian Far East ), the west coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia), the coasts of the Kuril Islands (Russia; some are disputed by Japan ), the northeastern coast of Hokkaido (Japan),

164-797: A United Nations subcommittee accepted the Russian argument, and in March 2014 the full United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf ruled in favor of the Russian Federation. Bowhead whales were first caught in 1847, and dominated the catch between 1852 and the late 1860s. Between 1850 and 1853 the majority of the fleet went to the Bering Strait region to hunt bowheads, but intense competition, poor ice conditions, and declining catches forced

246-724: A company working for the Russian energy giant Gazprom . Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan ( 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 tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from

328-467: A few plateaus. In addition, an underwater ridge rising up to 3,500 m (11,500 ft) runs from north to south through the middle of the central part. 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

410-530: A mountainous character. In contrast, numerous large rivers flow from Honshū and Hokkaidō into the sea, including Japan's four largest rivers: the Shinano , Ishikari , Agano and Mogami . The total annual river discharge into the sea is 210 km (50 cu mi) and is relatively constant through the year, except for a minor increase in July. Most water (97% or 52,200 km  [12,500 cu mi]) flows into

492-497: A number of straits, most important being Nevelskoy Strait (within the Strait of Tartary ), La Pérouse Strait , Lindholm Strait , Severnyy Strait , Severo-Vostochnyy Strait , . Of islands of the Sea of Okhotsk the most significant are: The total area of the basins of rivers draining into the sea is estimated 2.5. million km. There are settlements of the ancient Koryak culture along

574-632: A speed of 10–25 cm/s (4–10 in/s) in the open sea. They accelerate in the Korea Strait (40–60 cm/s or 16–24 in/s), La Pérouse Strait (50–100 cm/s or 20–40 in/s) and especially in the Tsugaru Strait (100–200 cm/s or 40–80 in/s). 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 1.5 m (5 ft) at

656-522: A wide southern part narrowing toward the north. The coastal length is about 7,600 km (4,700 mi) with the largest part (3,240 km or 2,010 mi) belonging to Russia. The sea extends from north to south for more than 2,255 km (1,401 mi) and has a maximum width of about 1,070 km (660 mi). It has three major basins : the Yamato Basin in the south-east, the Japan Basin in

738-433: Is August, with an average air temperature of 15 °C (59 °F) in the north and 25 °C (77 °F) in the south. Annual precipitation increases from 310–500 mm (12–20 in) in the north-west to 1,500–2,000 mm (59–79 in) in the south-east. A peculiar turbulent cloud pattern, named von Kármán vortices , is sometimes observed over the Sea of Japan. It requires a stable field of low clouds driven by

820-416: Is about 0 °C (32 °F) in the west and 5–6 °C (41–43 °F) in the east. This east-west difference drops to 1–2 °C (1.8–3.6 °F) in summer, and the temperatures rise to 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) in the north and 25–27 °C (77–81 °F) in the south. Because the sea is enclosed, its waters form clearly separated layers which may show seasonal and spatial dependence. In winter,

902-616: Is connected to the Sea of Japan on either side of Sakhalin: on the west through the Sakhalin Gulf and the Gulf of Tartary ; on the south through the La Pérouse Strait . In winter, navigation on the Sea of Okhotsk is impeded by ice floes . Ice floes form due to the large amount of freshwater from the Amur River , lowering the salinity of upper levels, often raising the freezing point of

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984-465: Is especially noticeable between October and March when the strong (12–15 m/s [39–49 ft/s] 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 8–10 m (26–33 ft) which erode the western coasts of Japan. Tsunami waves have also been recorded in

1066-449: Is relatively constant. The surface layer tends to be more fresh in the sea parts which experience ice melting and rains. The average water density is 1.0270 g/cm in the north and 1.0255 g/cm in the south in winter. It lowers in summer to 1.0253 and 1.0215 g/cm , respectively. Few rivers flow into the Sea of Japan from mainland Asia , the largest being Tumen , Rudnaya, Samarga, Partizanskaya and Tumnin; all of them have

1148-502: 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

1230-472: Is within 1%. The seawater has an elevated concentration of 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 Asian economies. Sea of Japan is the dominant term used in English for

1312-718: The Asian 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

1394-765: The Japanese archipelago separated from each other. During the Miocene, the Sea of Japan expanded. 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 . The south part of the Japanese archipelago remained as a relatively large landmass. The land area had expanded northward in the Late Miocene. The orogenesis of high mountain ranges in north-eastern Japan started in Late Miocene and lasted in Pliocene also. The eastern margin of

1476-609: The Kuril Islands during the last half of the first millennium to the early part of the second. The Okhotsk are often associated to be the ancestors of the Nivkhs , while others argue them to be identified with early Ainu-speakers . It is suggested that the bear cult , a practice shared by various Northern Eurasian peoples, the Ainu and the Nivkhs , was an important element of the Okhotsk culture but

1558-584: The Kuril Islands were administered by Japan until 1945. Japan claims the southern Kuril Islands and refers to them as Northern Territories . The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Sea of Okhotsk as follows: :: On the Southwest. The Northeastern and Northern limits on the Japan Sea [In La Perouse Strait (Sôya Kaikyô). A line joining Sôni Misaki and Nishi Notoro Misaki (45°55'N). From Cape Tuik (51°45'N) to Cape Sushcheva]. :: On

1640-530: The Kuril Islands . It is also reflected in various legends, such as the 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. Vladivostok is a base for the Russian whaling fleet. Although it operates in

1722-632: The 1640s. The Dutch captain Maarten Gerritsz Vries in the Breskens entered the Sea of Okhotsk from the south-east in 1643, and charted parts of the Sakhalin coast and Kuril Islands, but failed to realize that either Sakhalin or Hokkaido are islands. During this period, the sea was sometimes known as the Sea of Kamchatka . The first and foremost Russian settlement on the shore was the port of Okhotsk , which relinquished commercial supremacy to Ayan in

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1804-475: The 1840s. The Russian-American Company all but monopolized the commercial navigation of the sea in the first half of the 19th century. The Second Kamchatka Expedition under Vitus Bering systematically mapped the entire coast of the sea, starting in 1733. Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse and William Robert Broughton were the first non-Russian European navigators known to have passed through these waters other than Vries. Ivan Krusenstern explored

1886-604: The 1920s. American , Canadian and French whaleships cruised for whales in the sea between 1847 and 1892. Most entered the sea via Korea Strait and left via La Pérouse Strait , but some entered and exited via Tsugaru Strait . They primarily targeted right whales , but began catching humpbacks as right whale catches declined. They also made attempts to catch blue and fin whales , but these species invariably sank after being killed. Right whales were caught from March to September, with peak catches in May and June. During

1968-758: The Japanese islands. The largest bays are Peter the Great Gulf , Sovetskaya Gavan ; Vladimira Bay, Olga ; Posyet Bay in Russia; East Korea Bay in North Korea; and Ishikari (Hokkaidō), Toyama (Honshū), and Wakasa (Honshū) Bays in Japan. Prominent capes include Lazareva, Peschanyi (sandy), Povorotny , Gromova, Pogibi , Tyk, and Korsakova in Russia; Crillon on Sakhalin ; Sōya , Nosappu , Tappi , Nyuda, Rebun , Rishiri , Okushiri , Daso and Oki in Japan; and Musu Dan in North Korea. As world sea level dropped during

2050-544: The Japanese islands. In the 1780s, the Frenchman Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse , traveled northward across the sea through the 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

2132-540: The Korean Peninsula, but they also mainly target countries not bordering the Sea of Japan. The major Russian port of Vladivostok mainly serves inland cargos, whereas Nakhodka and Vostochny are more international and have a busy exchange with Japan and South Korea . Other prominent Russian ports are Sovetskaya Gavan , Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky and Kholmsk , and the major ports of North Korea are Wonsan , Hamhung and Chongjin . The intensity of shipments across

2214-460: The Pacific Ocean. 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

2296-640: The Russian EEZ, any country could fish there, and some began doing so in large numbers in 1991, catching perhaps as much as one million metric tons of pollock in 1992. This was seen by the Russian Federation as presenting a danger to Russian fish stocks, since the fish move in and out of the Peanut Hole from the Russian EEZ. The Russian Federation petitioned the United Nations to declare the Peanut Hole to be part of Russia's continental shelf . In November 2013,

2378-448: The Russian oil drilling rig Kolskaya capsized and sank in a storm in the Sea of Okhotsk, some 124 km (77 mi) from Sakhalin island, where it was being towed from Kamchatka . Reportedly, its pumps failed, causing it to take on water and sink. The platform carried 67 people, of which 14 were rescued by the Magadan and the tugboat Natftogaz-55 . The platform was subcontracted to

2460-401: The Sea of Okhotsk as a nesting site. The Okhotsk culture and the later Ainu people , a coastal fishing and hunter-gatherer people, were located around the lands surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as in northern Japan. Russian explorers Vassili Poyarkov (1639) and Ivan Moskvitin (1645) were the first Europeans to visit the Sea of Okhotsk (and, probably, the island of Sakhalin ) in

2542-407: The Sea of Okhotsk is the subject of the most famous novel of the Japanese writer Takiji Kobayashi , The Crab Cannery Ship (1929). The Peanut Hole (named for its shape) was an area of open ocean at the center of the Sea of Okhotsk, about 55 km (30 mi) wide and 480 km (300 mi) long, that was surrounded by Russia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Since the Peanut Hole was not in

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2624-406: The Sea of Okhotsk was delivered by the expedition led by Vassili Poyarkov , who came to the Okhotsk coast in 1639 by the mouth of Ulya river. Six years later, in 1645, an expedition led by Ivan Moskvitin travelled by the Amur River down to its mouth. In 1647 an expedition led by Semyon Shelkovnokov (Семен Шелковников, Семейка Шелковник) traveled from Yakutsk to the mouth of Ulya and further to

2706-619: The Southeast. A line running from Nosyappu Saki (Cape Noshap, 43°23'N) in the Island of Hokusyû (Yezo) through the Kuril or Tisima Islands to Cape Lopatka (South point of Kamchatka ) in such a way that all the narrow waters between Hokusyû and Kamchatka are included in the Sea of Okhotsk. Some of the Sea of Okhotsk's islands are quite large, including Japan's second-largest island, Hokkaido, as well as Russia's largest island, Sakhalin. Practically all of

2788-520: 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 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. All the straits are rather shallow, with a minimal depth of

2870-403: The atmosphere in the northern part of the sea and by the currents in the southern part. Winter temperatures are 0 °C (32 °F) or below in the north and 10–14 °C (50–57 °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

2952-476: The basin in Chinese was "Sea of Whales" ), and the crustaceans by shrimps and crabs. Because of the shallow straits connecting the sea with Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan has no characteristic oceanic deep-water fauna. Flora and fauna unique to the region near the Sea of Japan are known as "Japan Sea elements". Fishery had long been the main economic activity on the Sea of Japan. It is mainly carried out on and near

3034-564: 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. In summer the wind weakens to 2–7 m/s (6.6–23.0 ft/s) and reverses its direction, blowing warm and humid air from the North Pacific onto the Asian mainland. The warmest month

3116-482: The coast and on some islands. There are also traces of ancient Yupik culture. Evens , who, in particular, live in Magadan Oblast and Kamchatka , migrated out of central China around 10,000 years ago. The Okhotsk culture is an archaeological coastal fishing and hunter-gatherer culture that developed around the southern coastal regions of the Sea of Okhotsk , including Sakhalin , northeastern Hokkaido , and

3198-462: 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. There is also a well-developed seaweed production. The importance of the fishery in the sea is illustrated by the territorial disputes between Japan and South Korea over Liancourt Rocks and between Japan and Russia over

3280-489: The cyclonal character of the sea currents. Other notable expeditions of the 19th century include the American North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition (1853–1856) and 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

3362-442: The deeper regions. 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 , Rebun , Rishiri , Okushiri , Ōshima , Sado , Okinoshima , Ulleungdo , Askold, 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

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3444-532: The early 19th century, while the Koreas claim that the term "Sea of Japan" arose later while Korea was under Japanese rule , and before that occupation, other names such as "Sea of Korea" or "East Sea" were used in English. In 2012, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the intergovernmental organization that maintains a publication listing the limits of ocean and sea areas around

3526-815: 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 3,000 m (9,800 ft). 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 of biomass. Pelagic (oceanic) fishes include saury , mackerel, Jack mackerels , sardines, anchovies, herring, sea bream , squid and various species of salmon and trout. The demersal (sea-bottom) fishes include cod , pollock and Atka mackerel . Mammals are represented by seals and whales (ancient name for

3608-440: The eastern coast of Sakhalin in 1805. Mamiya Rinzō and Gennady Nevelskoy determined that Sakhalin was indeed an island separated from the mainland by a narrow strait. The first detailed summary of the hydrology of the Sea of Okhotsk was prepared and published by Stepan Makarov in 1894. The Sea of Okhotsk is rich in biological resources, with various kinds of fish, shellfish and crabs. The harsh conditions of crab fishing in

3690-546: The end of World War II in 1945. Afterward, the Soviet Union occupied the territory. During the Cold War , the Sea of Okhotsk was the scene of several successful U.S. Navy operations (including Operation Ivy Bells ) to tap Soviet Navy undersea communications cables. These operations were documented in the 1998 book Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage . The sea (and surrounding area) were also

3772-525: The entire sea with the highest levels observed in summer and lowest in winter. Wind may also locally change the water level by 20–25 cm (8–10 in); for example, it is higher in summer at the Korean and lower at the Japanese coasts. The sea waters have blue to green-blue color and a transparency of about 10 m (33 ft). They are rich in dissolved oxygen , especially in the western and northern parts, which are colder and have more phytoplankton than

3854-484: The evolutionary process from the analogue to the digital era. The IHO approved the proposal of the new official nautical chart. The new chart will be marked with a numerical identifier without a name. 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

3936-651: The extremity of Esan Saki (41°48′ N). On the Northeast. In La Perouse Strait (Sôya Kaikyô). A line joining Sôni Misaki and Nishi Notoro Misaki (45°55′ N). On the North. From Cape Tuik (51°45′ N) to Cape Sushcheva. 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

4018-523: The fleet back to the Sea of Okhotsk. From 1854 to 1856, an average of over 160 vessels cruised in the sea each year. As catches declined between 1858 and 1860 the fleet shifted back to the Bering Strait region. The Russian military marine mammal program reportedly sources some of its animals from the Sea of Okhotsk. South Sakhalin was administered by Japan as Karafuto Prefecture from 1907 to 1949. The Kuril Islands were Japanese from 1855 and 1875 till

4100-421: The global mean. Warming inhibits the formation of sea ice and also drives fish populations north. The salmon catch on the northern Japanese coast has fallen 70% in the last 15 years, while the Russian chum salmon catch has quadrupled. With the exception of Hokkaido , one of the Japanese home islands , the sea is surrounded on all sides by territory administered by the Russian Federation. South Sakhalin and

4182-424: 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

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4264-513: The ice cap advances of the 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. The sea climate has warm waters and monsoons. This combination results in strong evaporation, which

4346-572: The limits of the "Japan Sea" as follows: On the Southwest. The Northeastern limit of the Eastern China Sea [From Nomo Saki (32°35′ N) in Kyusyu to the South point of Hukae Sima ( Goto Retto ) and on through this island to Ose Saki (Cape Goto) and to Hunan Kan, the South point of Saisyu To (Quelpart), through this island to its Western extreme and thence along the parallel of 33°17′ North to

4428-737: The mainland] and the Western limit of the Inland Sea [defined circuitously as "The Southeastern limit of the Japan Sea"]. On the Southeast. In Simonoseki Kaikyo . A line running from Nagoya Saki (130°49′,5 E) in Kyûsyû through the islands of Uma Sima and Muture Sima (33°58′,5 N) to Murasaki Hana (34°01′ N) in Honsyû . On the East. In the Tsugaru Kaikô . From the extremity of Siriya Saki (141°28′ E) to

4510-404: The mouth of Okhota River , where he built a fortified winter quarters ( zimovye ) in defense from the militant local population, in which place the modern Okhotsk was built. Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk covers an area of 1,583,000 square kilometres (611,000 sq mi), with a mean depth of 859 metres (2,818 ft) and a maximum depth of 3,372 metres (11,063 ft). It

4592-453: The name of Hokkaidō's Okhotsk Subprefecture , which faces the Sea of Okhotsk and is also known as the Okhotsk region ( オホーツク地方 , Ohōtsuku-chihō ) . Twenty-nine zones of possible oil and gas accumulation have been identified on the Sea of Okhotsk shelf, which runs along the coast. Total reserves are estimated at 3.5 billion tons of equivalent fuel, including 1.2 billion tons of oil and 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas. On 18 December 2011,

4674-407: The north and east coasts of Sakhalin (Russia), as well as the coasts of the inner islands. The continental part of the Okhotsk coast has a complicated shape, with many headlands and peninsulas, as well as gulfs and bays , most significant being the Sakhalin Gulf between Sakhalin and continental Siberia and Shelikhov Gulf , the northernost part of the sea. The (complete) shoreline is broken by

4756-598: The north and the Tsushima Basin (Ulleung Basin) in the south-west. 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 2,300 m (7,500 ft). 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 30 km (19 mi). There are three distinct continental shelves in

4838-653: 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. Water temperature is mostly affected by exchange with

4920-425: The northern part (above 44° N). They form a staircase-like structure with the steps slightly inclined southwards and submerged to the depths of 900–1,400 (3,000–4,600), 1,700–2,000 (5,600–6,600) and 2,300–2,600 m (7,500–8,500 ft). The last step sharply drops to the depths of about 3,500 m (11,500 ft) toward the central (deepest) part of the sea. The bottom of this part is relatively flat, but has

5002-465: 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 , Tsuruta and Maizuru . Major South Korean ports are Busan , Ulsan , and Pohang situated on the south-eastern coast of

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5084-436: 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. 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

5166-444: 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 this major port . There is a regular ferry service across the Strait of Tartary between the Russian continental port of Vanino and Kholmsk in Sakhalin. The sea has magnetite sands as well as natural gas and petroleum fields near

5248-440: 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. The sea has a surface area of about 1,050,000 km (410,000 sq mi), a mean depth of 1,752 m (5,748 ft) and a maximum depth of 4,568 m (14,987 ft). It has a carrot-like shape, with the major axis extending from south-west to north-east and

5330-412: 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, with significantly lesser numbers in following years. The Sea of Japan was landlocked when the land bridge of East Asia existed. The Japan Arc started to form in the Early Miocene . In the Early Miocene the Japan Sea started to open, and the northern and southern parts of

5412-409: The scene of the Soviet attack on Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983. The Soviet Pacific Fleet used the sea as a ballistic missile submarine bastion , a strategy that Russia continues. Despite its proximity to Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk has no native etymology in the Japanese language ; its name, Ohōtsuku-kai ( オホーツク海 ), is a transcription of the Russian name. This is also reflected in

5494-403: The sea are of oceanic origin. Seabed down to 300 m (980 ft) is of continental nature and is covered with a mixture of mud, sand, gravel and fragments of rock. The depths between 300 and 800 m (980 and 2,620 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

5576-421: The sea may host an incipient subduction zone responsible for large earthquakes in 1940 , 1964 , 1983 and 1993 . 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 straits : the Strait of Tartary between

5658-522: The sea surface. The distribution and thickness of ice floes depends on many factors: the location, the time of year, water currents, and the sea temperatures. Cold air from Siberia forms sea ice in the northwestern Sea of Okhotsk. As the ice forms, it expels salt into the deeper layers. This heavy water flows east toward the Pacific, carrying oxygen and nutrients, supporting abundant sea life. The Sea of Okhotsk has warmed in some places by as much as 3°C (5.4°F) since preindustrial times, three times faster than

5740-485: The sea through the Korea Strait and discharges through the Tsugaru (64% or 34,610 km  [8,300 cu mi], La Pérouse 10,380 km  [2,490 cu mi]) 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. The sea has complex tides , which are induced by

5822-544: The sea's islands are either in coastal waters or belong to the various islands making up the Kuril Islands chain. These fall either under undisputed Japanese or Russian ownership or disputed ownership between Japan and Russia. Iony Island is the only island located in open waters and belongs to the Khabarovsk Krai of the Russian Federation . The majority of the sea's islands are uninhabited, making them ideal breeding grounds for seals , sea lions , seabirds , and other sea island fauna. Large colonies of crested auklets use

5904-685: The sea, and the name in most European languages is equivalent, but it is sometimes called by different names in surrounding countries. The sea is called Nihon kai ( 日本海 , literally 'Japan Sea') in Japan, Rìběn hǎi ( 日本海 , 'Japan Sea') or originally Jīng hǎi ( 鲸海 , 'Whale Sea') in China, Yaponskoye more ( Японское море , 'Japanese Sea') in Russia, Chosŏn Tonghae ( 조선동해 , literally 'Korean East Sea') in North Korea , and Donghae ( 동해 , literally 'East Sea') in South Korea . The use of

5986-543: The sea. In addition, the monsoon enhances the surface water convection, down to the depths of 30 m (98 ft). The coldest months are January and February, with an average air temperature of −20 °C (−4 °F) in the north and 5 °C (41 °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. The timing and extent of freezing vary from year to year, so ice may start forming in

6068-504: The southern tip of Korean Peninsula and to 0.5 m (1.6 ft) at the North Korean shores. Similar low tides are observed in Hokkaidō, Honshū and south Sakhalin. The amplitude however increases to 2.3–2.8 m (7.5–9.2 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

6150-404: The sun and tropical monsoons increases the depth gradient in spring–summer. In the north the surface layer (down to 15 m or 49 ft) may heat up to 18–20 °C (64–68 °F). The temperature would drop sharply to 4 °C (39 °F) at 50 m (160 ft), then slowly decrease to 1 °C (34 °F) at 250 m (820 ft) and remain so down to the seabed. On the contrary,

6232-427: The temperature in the south could gradually decrease to 6 °C (43 °F) at 200 m (660 ft), then to 2 °C (36 °F) at 260 m (850 ft) and to 0.04–0.14 °C (32.07–32.25 °F) at 1,000–1,500 m (3,300–4,900 ft), but then it would rise to about 0.3 °C (32.5 °F) near the bottom. This cold layer at about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) is formed by sinking of cold water in

6314-417: The temperature is almost constant with the depth in the northern part of the sea. However, in central-southern parts, it may be 8–10 °C (46–50 °F) down to 100–150 m (330–490 ft), 2–4 °C (36–39 °F) at 200–250 m (660–820 ft), 1.0–1.5 °C (33.8–34.7 °F) at 400–500 m (1,300–1,600 ft) and then remain at about 0 °C (32 °F) until the bottom. Heating by

6396-440: The term "Sea of Japan" as the dominant name is a point of contention. South Korea wants the name "East Sea" to be used, either instead of or in addition to "Sea of Japan;" while North Korea prefers the name "East Sea of Korea". The primary issue in the dispute revolves around a disagreement about when the name "Sea of Japan" became the international standard. Japan claims the term has been the international standard since at least

6478-457: 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

6560-411: The wind over a small (isolated) and tall obstacle, and usually forms over small mountainous islands. The Sea of Japan meets these conditions as it has frequent winds and cloudy skies, as well as compact, tall islands such as Rishiri (1,721 m or 5,646 ft), Ulleungdo (984 m or 3,228 ft) and Ōshima (732 m or 2,402 ft). The International Hydrographic Organization defines

6642-515: The world, abandoned its most recent of several attempts in the last 25 years to revise its publication of the sea's name. This was primarily because of the lack of agreement between the Koreas and Japan over the naming issue. In September 2020, the IHO announced that it would adopt a new numerical system, also known as "S-130". In November 2020, S-23, the previous version of the nautical chart made in 1953 will be made public as an IHO publication to demonstrate

6724-793: Was uncommon in Jomon period Japan. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Okhotsk culture proper originated in the 5th century AD from the Susuya culture of southern Sakhalin and northwestern Hokkaido. Negidals are considered to descend from Evenks that settled in the Amgun basin during the Iron Age . After branching off from the main Tungusic ethnic family and reaching the Okhotsk Coast, Negidals became geographically isolated. The first information for Europeans about

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