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Kuroshio | Japan, Current, Location, & Map | Britannica
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class="toc-extra-link selected link-gray-900 mt-15"> Introduction </span> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuroshio/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Kuroshio">Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuroshio/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/244464-050-863F46A4/Locator-map-Kuroshio.jpg" data-href="/media/1/325346/285793" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/244464-004-972341E1/Locator-map-Kuroshio.jpg" alt="Kuroshio" height="50" /> 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/world/A0825982.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Fact Monster - World - Japan Current</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Japan Current, Kuroshio-North Pacific Current</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuroshio/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Japanese: </dt> <dd>“Black Current”</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also called: </dt> <dd>Japan Current</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Kuroshio"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><!--[BEFORE-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><!--[PREMOD1]--><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref26820"></span>Kuroshio</strong>, strong surface oceanic current of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Pacific-Ocean" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Pacific Ocean</a>, the northeasterly flowing continuation of the Pacific North Equatorial Current between <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Luzon" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Luzon</a> of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Philippines</a> and the east coast of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Japan</a>. The temperature and salinity of Kuroshio water are relatively high for the region, about 68 °F (20 °C) and 34.5 parts per thousand, respectively. Only about 1,300 feet (400 metres) deep, the Kuroshio travels at rates ranging between 20 and 120 inches (50 and 300 cm) per second.</p><!--[MOD1]--><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD2]--><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Flowing past <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Taiwan" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Taiwan</a> (Formosa) and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ryukyu-Islands" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Ryukyu Islands</a>, the current skirts the east coast of Kyushu, where, during the summer, it branches west and then northeast through the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Korea-Strait" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Korea Strait</a> to parallel the west coast of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Honshu" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Honshu</a> in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sea-of-Japan" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Sea of Japan</a> as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tsushima-Current" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Tsushima Current</a>. In the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="vicinity" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/vicinity" data-type="EB">vicinity</a> of latitude 35° N (about central Honshu), the bulk of the Kuroshio turns east to receive the southward-flowing <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Oya-Current" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Oya Current</a>. This flow, known as the Kuroshio Extension, eventually becomes the <span id="ref26821"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/North-Pacific-Current" class="md-crosslink ">North Pacific Current</a> (also known as the North Pacific West Wind Drift). Much of this current’s force is lost west of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Hawaii-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Hawaiian Islands</a> as a great south-flowing <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/eddy-fluid-mechanics" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">eddy</a>, the Kuroshio countercurrent, joins the Pacific North Equatorial Current and directs the warm water back to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippine-Sea" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Philippine Sea</a>. The remainder of the original flow continues east to split off the coast of Canada and form the Alaska and California currents. The Kuroshio exhibits distinct seasonal fluctuations. It is strongest from May to August. Receding some in late summer and autumn, it begins to increase from January to February only to weaken in early spring. Similar to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Gulf-Stream" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Gulf Stream</a> (Atlantic) in its creation and flow patterns, the Kuroshio has an important warming effect upon the south and southeast coastal regions of Japan as far north as Tokyo.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><!--[MOD2]--><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD3]--><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The existence of the Kuroshio was known to European geographers as early as 1650, as shown by a map drawn by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bernhardus-Varenius" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Bernhardus Varenius</a>. It was also noted by Captain J. King, a member of the British <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="expedition" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/expedition" data-type="EB">expedition</a> under Captain <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Cook" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">James Cook</a> (1776–80). It is called Kuroshio (“Black Current”) because it appears a deeper blue than does the sea through which it flows.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/water-and-its-varying-forms" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/157502-131-7C5D3A67/water-glass-background.jpg" alt="water glass on white background. 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