Names

Sea of Japan is the dominant term used in English for the sea, and the name in most
European languages is equivalent, but it is sometimes called by different names in
surrounding countries, often reflecting historical claims to hegemony over the sea.

The sea is called Rben hai (???, literally "Japan Sea") or originally Jing hai
(??, literally "Whale Sea") in China,[2] Yaponskoye more (???????? ????, literally
"Japanese Sea") in Russia, Choson Tonghae (????, literally "Korean East Sea") in
North Korea, and Donghae (??, literally "East Sea") in South Korea. A naming
dispute exists about the sea name, with Korea promoting the English translation of
its native name as the East Sea.

In Southeast Asia, the sea is called "Laut Jepun" in Malay, "Laut Jepang" in
Indonesian, and "Dagat Hapon" in Filipino.

Extent
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the "Japan Sea"
as follows:[3]

On the Southwest. The Northeastern limit of the Eastern China Sea [From Nomo Saki
(3235' 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 3317' North to 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 (13049',5
E) in Kysy through the islands of Uma Sima and Muture Sima (3358',5 N) to
Murasaki Hana (3401' N) in Honsy.

On the East. In the Tsugaru Kaik. From the extremity of Siriya Saki (14128' E) to
the extremity of Esan Saki (4148' N).

On the Northeast. In La Perouse Strait (Sya Kaiky). A line joining Sni Misaki
and Nishi Notoro Misaki (4555' N).

On the North. From Cape Tuik (5145' N) to Cape Sushcheva.[4]

Geography and geology

Map showing Japanese archipelago, Sea of Japan and surrounding part of continental
East Asia in Early Miocene (2318 Ma).

Map showing Japanese archipelago, Sea of Japan and surrounding part of continental
East Asia in Middle Pliocene to Late Pliocene (3.52 Ma).
The Sea of Japan was a landlocked sea when the land bridge of East Asia existed.[5]
The onset of formation of the Japan Arc was in Early Miocene.[6] The Early Miocene
period also corresponds to the Japan Sea starting to open, and the northern and
southern parts of the Japanese archipelago separating from each other.[6] During
the Miocene, there was expansion of Sea of Japan.[6]

The north part of the Japanese archipelago was further fragmented later until
orogenesis of the northeastern Japanese archipelago began in the later Late
Miocene.[6] The south part of the Japanese archipelago remained as a relatively
large landmass.[6] The land area had expanded northward in the Late Miocene.[6] The
orogenesis of high mountain ranges in northeastern Japan started in Late Miocene
and lasted in Pliocene also.[6]

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 Hokkaido,
Honshu and Kyushu to the east and south. It is connected to other seas by five
straits: the Strait of Tartary between the Asian mainland and Sakhalin; La Prouse
Strait between the Sakhalin and Hokkaido; the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and
Honshu; the Kanmon Straits between Honshu and Kyushu; and the Korea Strait between
the Korean Peninsula and Kyushu.

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 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 Hokkaido.[7] 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.[8]

The sea has a surface area of about 978,000 km2 (378,000 sq mi), a mean depth of
1,752 m (5,748 ft) and a maximum depth of 3,742 m (12,277 ft). It has a carrot-like
shape, with the major axis extending from southwest to northeast and 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).[9]

It has three major basins: the Yamato Basin in the southeast, the Japan Basin in
the north and the Tsushima Basin (Ulleung Basin) in the southwest.[7] 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).[9] 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).[8]

There are three distinct continental shelves in the northern part (above 44 N).
They form a staircase-like structure with the steps slightly inclined southwards
and submerged to the depths of 9001,400 (3,0004,600), 1,7002,000 (5,6006,600)
and 2,3002,600 m (7,5008,500 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 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.[8]

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 uneven bottom covered
with boulders of volcanic rock. Most other areas of 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 the deeper regions.[7]

There are no large islands in the sea. Most of the smaller ones are located near
the eastern coast, except for Ulleungdo (South Korea). The most significant islands
are Moneron, Rebun, Rishiri, Okushiri, Oshima, Sado, Okinoshima, Ulleungdo, Askold,
Russky and Putyatin. The shorelines are relatively straight and are lacking large
bays or capes; the coastal shapes are simplest for Sakhalin and are more winding in
the Japanese islands.
The largest bays are Peter the Great Gulf, Sovetskaya Gavan, Vladimira, Olga,
Posyet in Russia, East Korea Bay in North Korea and Ishikari (Hokkaido), Toyama and
Wakasa (Honshu) in Japan. Prominent capes include Lazareva, Peschanyi (sandy),
Povorotny, Gromova, Pogibi, Tyk, and Korsakova in Russia; Crillon on Sakhalin;
Soya, Nosappu, Tappi, Nyuda, Rebun, Rishiri, Okushiri, Daso and Oki in Japan;[8][9]
and Musu Dan in North Korea.