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Sea of Japan Facts

Sea of Japan Facts
The Sea of Japan is located between the Asian mainland, Sakhalin, and the Japanese archipelago, which separates the Sea of Japan from the Pacific Ocean. Because it is almost completely closed off from the Pacific Ocean it has almost no tidal activity and it also has lower salinity than the ocean. This marginal sea is bordered by the countries South Korea, North Korea, Russia, and Japan. The Sea of Japan covers an area of 378,000 square miles and is carrot-shaped, with its widest point being 660 miles and its length extends 1,401 miles. The maximum depth of the Sea of Japan is 12,277 feet and the average depth is 5,748 feet. The coastline of the Sea of Japan extends 4,700 miles.
Interesting Sea of Japan Facts:
When the land bridge of East Asia existed the Sea of Japan was completely landlocked. This changed during the Early Miocene period when the sea began to open up due to changes in land formations.
The Sea of Japan has three major basins including the Tsushima Basin in the southwest region, the Japan basin in the northern region, and the Yamato basin in the southeast region.
The Sea of Japan experiences warm waters and it also experiences monsoons that can bring tsunamis and typhoons.
Because of the high level of dissolved oxygen in the Sea of Japan there are many species thriving in its waters.
The Sea of Japan has more than 900 crustacean species, 3,500 animal species, 800 aquatic plant species, 1,000 fish species, and 26 mammal species.
Oceanic fish that can be found in the Sea of Japan include mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herring, squid, salmon, trout, sea bream, and saury. Other fish in the sea include Atka mackerel, Pollock, and cod.
At one time the Sea of Japan was referred to as the Sea of Whales. The mammal species found in the sea are whales and seals.
The main commercially fished species from the Sea of Japan include bluefin tuna, sardines, and herring.
The name of the Sea of Japan is in dispute. South Korea prefers the term East Sea and North Korea prefers the East Sea of Korea.
The Sea of Japan has no large islands in its waters. The majority of the small islands are located in the Sea of Japan's eastern region.
The main islands within the Sea of Japan include Putyatin, Russky, Askold, Moneron, Rebun, Rishiri, Sado, Oshima, Okushiri, Okinoshima, and Ulleungdo.
The largest bays located in the Sea of Japan include Peter the Great Gulf, Vladimira, Posyet, Sovetskaya Gavan, East Korean Bay, Ishikari, Wakasa, and Toyama.
Along the western coast of the Sea of Japan are many historical sites and traditional fishing villages.
Major ports on the Sea of Japan's coastal regions include Niigata, Maizuru, Tsurutam Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, and Vladivostok.
There are petroleum fields and natural gas fields near Sakhalin Island in the Sea of Japan.
Seaweed production in the Sea of Japan is a well-developed industry.
The Sea of Japan once offered Japan protection from invasion by land from the Mongols because of its location.


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