| 気候 The climate of Japan is predominantly frigid but varies
greatly from north to south. Japan's geographical features divide it
into six principal climatic zones:
- Hokkaidō: The northernmost zone has a temperate climate with
long, cold winters and cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy,
but the islands usually develop deep snow banks in the winter.
- Sea of Japan: On Honshū's west coast, the northwest wind in
the wintertime brings heavy snowfall. In the summer, the region
is cooler than the Pacific area, though it sometimes experiences
extremely hot temperatures, due to the Föhn wind phenomenon.
- Central Highland: A typical inland climate, with large
temperature differences between summer and winter, and between
day and night. Precipitation is light.
- Seto Inland Sea: The mountains of the Chūgoku and Shikoku
regions shelter the region from the seasonal winds, bringing
mild weather throughout the year.
- Pacific Ocean: The east coast experiences cold winters with
little snowfall and hot, humid summers due to the southeast
seasonal wind.
- Southwest Islands: The Ryūkyū Islands have a subtropical
climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is
very heavy, especially during the rainy season. Typhoons are
common.
The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the
stationary rain front responsible for this gradually works its way
north until it dissipates in northern Japan before reaching Hokkaidō
in late July. In most of Honshū, the rainy season begins before the
middle of June and lasts about six weeks. In late summer and early
autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain.
Japan is home to nine forest ecoregions which reflect the climate
and geography of the islands. They range from subtropical moist
broadleaf forests in the Ryūkyū and Bonin islands, to temperate
broadleaf and mixed forests in the mild climate regions of the main
islands, to temperate coniferous forests in the cold, winter
portions of the northern islands.
|
