Tsugaru Strait: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 41°29′57″N 140°36′57″E / 41.49917°N 140.61583°E / 41.49917; 140.61583
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Red link
General cleanup, removing outdated rubbish (doesn't take trains 2 hours to pass through the tunnel)
Line 3: Line 3:
[[File:Tappisaki.JPG|thumb|Tappi Misaki]]
[[File:Tappisaki.JPG|thumb|Tappi Misaki]]


{{Nihongo|'''Tsugaru Strait'''|津軽海峡|Tsugaru Kaikyō}} is a [[Channel (geography)|channel]] between [[Honshu]] and [[Hokkaido]] in northern [[Japan]] connecting the [[Sea of Japan]] with the [[Pacific Ocean]]. It was named after the western part of [[Aomori Prefecture]]. The [[Seikan Tunnel]] passes under it at its narrowest point (19.5 km) between [[Tappi Misaki]] on the [[Tsugaru Peninsula]] in [[Aomori Prefecture|Aomori]], Honshū and Shirakami Misaki on the [[Matsumae Peninsula]] in Hokkaidō.
The {{Nihongo|'''Tsugaru Strait'''|津軽海峡|Tsugaru Kaikyō}} is a [[Channel (geography)|channel]] between [[Honshu]] and [[Hokkaido]] in northern Japan connecting the [[Sea of Japan]] with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of [[Aomori Prefecture]]. The [[Seikan Tunnel]] passes under it at its narrowest point (19.5 km) between Tappi Misaki on the [[Tsugaru Peninsula]] in [[Aomori Prefecture]], Honshu, and Shirakami Misaki on the [[Matsumae Peninsula]] in Hokkaido.


Japan's territorial waters extend to three nautical miles (5.6 km) into the strait instead of the usual twelve, reportedly to allow [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]]-armed [[United States Navy]] warships and submarines to transit the strait without violating Japan's prohibition against nuclear weapons in its territory.<ref>[[Kyodo News]], "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090622a1.html Japan left key straits open for U.S. nukes]", ''[[Japan Times]]'', June 22, 2009.</ref>
Japan's territorial waters extend to three nautical miles (5.6 km) into the strait instead of the usual twelve, reportedly to allow [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]]-armed [[United States Navy]] warships and submarines to transit the strait without violating Japan's prohibition against nuclear weapons in its territory.<ref>[[Kyodo News]], "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090622a1.html Japan left key straits open for U.S. nukes]", ''[[The Japan Times]]'', June 22, 2009.</ref>


The Tsugaru Strait has eastern and western necks, both approximately 20 km across with maximum depths of 200 and 140 m respectively.<ref>{{cite journal| author=Tsuji, H., Sawada, T. and Takizawa, M. | title=Extraordinary inundation accidents in the Seikan undersea tunnel | journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Geotechnical Engineering | year=1996 | volume=119 | issue= 1 | pages=1–14 | doi=10.1680/igeng.1996.28131}}</ref>
The Tsugaru Strait has eastern and western necks, both approximately 20 km across with maximum depths of 200 m and 140 m respectively.<ref>{{cite journal| author=Tsuji, H., Sawada, T. and Takizawa, M. | title=Extraordinary inundation accidents in the Seikan undersea tunnel | journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Geotechnical Engineering | year=1996 | volume=119 | issue= 1 | pages=1–14 | doi=10.1680/igeng.1996.28131}}</ref>


In the past, the most common way for passengers and [[freight]] to cross the strait was on [[ferries]], approximately a four-hour journey. Since 1988 the [[Seikan Tunnel]] provides a convenient but more expensive alternative and approximately halves the travel time in comparison to ferrying. When [[Hokkaidō Shinkansen|Shinkansen trains]] can traverse the tunnel to [[Hakodate]] (scheduled for 2015), the journey time will be cut to 50 minutes.<ref>{{cite journal| author=Morse, D. | title=Japan Tunnels Under the Ocean | journal=Civil Engineering | year=May 1988 | volume=58 | issue = 5 | pages=50–53}}</ref>
In the past, the most common way for passengers and freight to cross the strait was on ferries, approximately a four-hour journey.


On September 26, 1954 1,172 lives were lost when the ferry ''[[Tōya Maru]]'' sank in the strait.<ref>
On September 26, 1954, 1,172 lives were lost when the ferry ''[[Tōya Maru]]'' sank in the strait.<ref>{{cite web | title = Seikan Railroad Ferryboat Accident, Failure Knowledge Database | publisher = Japan Science and Technology Agency | url = http://shippai.jst.go.jp/en/Detail?fn=0&id=CA1000609&}}</ref>
{{cite web
| title = Seikan Railroad Ferryboat Accident, Failure Knowledge Database
| publisher = Japan Science and Technology Agency
| url = http://shippai.jst.go.jp/en/Detail?fn=0&id=CA1000609&
}}
</ref>


[[Thomas Blakiston]], an English explorer and naturalist, noticed that animals in Hokkaido were related to northern Asian species, whereas those on Honshu to the south were related to those from southern Asia. The Tsugaru Strait was therefore established as a major zoogeographical boundary, and became known as the "Blakiston Line".<ref>
[[Thomas Blakiston]], an English explorer and naturalist, noticed that animals in Hokkaido were related to northern Asian species, whereas those on Honshu to the south were related to those from southern Asia. The Tsugaru Strait was therefore established as a major zoogeographical boundary, and became known as the "Blakiston Line".<ref>{{cite web | title = Nature in Japan | publisher = Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan | url = http://www.env.go.jp/earth/coop/coop/materials/08-ttmnce/08-ttmnce-21.pdf}}</ref>
{{cite web
| title = Nature in Japan
| publisher = Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan
| url = http://www.env.go.jp/earth/coop/coop/materials/08-ttmnce/08-ttmnce-21.pdf
}}
</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 01:04, 13 June 2014

Tsugaru Peninsula and Tsugaru Strait
Landsat 7 Imagery of Tsugaru Strait
Tappi Misaki

The Tsugaru Strait (津軽海峡, Tsugaru Kaikyō) is a channel between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture. The Seikan Tunnel passes under it at its narrowest point (19.5 km) between Tappi Misaki on the Tsugaru Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, Honshu, and Shirakami Misaki on the Matsumae Peninsula in Hokkaido.

Japan's territorial waters extend to three nautical miles (5.6 km) into the strait instead of the usual twelve, reportedly to allow nuclear-armed United States Navy warships and submarines to transit the strait without violating Japan's prohibition against nuclear weapons in its territory.[1]

The Tsugaru Strait has eastern and western necks, both approximately 20 km across with maximum depths of 200 m and 140 m respectively.[2]

In the past, the most common way for passengers and freight to cross the strait was on ferries, approximately a four-hour journey.

On September 26, 1954, 1,172 lives were lost when the ferry Tōya Maru sank in the strait.[3]

Thomas Blakiston, an English explorer and naturalist, noticed that animals in Hokkaido were related to northern Asian species, whereas those on Honshu to the south were related to those from southern Asia. The Tsugaru Strait was therefore established as a major zoogeographical boundary, and became known as the "Blakiston Line".[4]

References

  1. ^ Kyodo News, "Japan left key straits open for U.S. nukes", The Japan Times, June 22, 2009.
  2. ^ Tsuji, H., Sawada, T. and Takizawa, M. (1996). "Extraordinary inundation accidents in the Seikan undersea tunnel". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Geotechnical Engineering. 119 (1): 1–14. doi:10.1680/igeng.1996.28131.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Seikan Railroad Ferryboat Accident, Failure Knowledge Database". Japan Science and Technology Agency.
  4. ^ "Nature in Japan" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan.

External links

Media related to Tsugaru Strait at Wikimedia Commons

41°29′57″N 140°36′57″E / 41.49917°N 140.61583°E / 41.49917; 140.61583