Which climatic zone is japan in

Precipitation in Tokyo amounts to 1,mm 60in a year, meaning rainfall is abundant especially from June to October , so umbrellas or raincoats are essential. For more information, see the weather in Tokyo and the best time to go guide. Hokkaido, the northernmost island, is also Japan's coldest region. Winters are long and harsh with plenty of snowfall, making it a prime destination for snow sports.

Ski resorts here often open from early December to April. On the other hand, the Okinawa prefecture is about 1,km 1,mi south of Tokyo. The archipelago here enjoys a sub-tropical climate with very mild but rainy winters. They bring strong winds and torrential rains. Powerful typhoons may damage buildings and cause transport disruptions. There is a danger of landslides in rural areas too.

April is recommended for visitors who are after the spectacular views of cherry blossoms. The far north and south of Japan have very different climates. In March, for example, you can go sunbathing in the south and skiing in the north! The country often suffers such serious natural disasters as typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Although these disasters can claim many lives, as in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of January and the Great East Japan Earthquake of March , the Japanese have been working hard for years to minimize their damage.

Western Japan has very hot and humid summers with temperatures sometimes reaching 35 o C or above and moderate cold winters. Okinawa and Amami have a subtropical oceanic climate. These areas have hot and humid summers with temperatures rarely reaching 35 o C or above and mild winters. The island also lured you in with its romantic reputation as the far off, untamed wilds of Japan. So what was it like? Summer days were usually comfortably warm, while winter days were generally below freezing.

Many times you wondered why on earth you were sleeping in a makeshift hut in the frigid Hokkaido wilderness. Summer and autumn were fairly rainy, often with dense sea fog, while precipitation was low the remainder of the year.

Interestingly, the west coast bucked this trend; a winter hike along this coast had you trudging through heavy snowfall. You criss-crossed the island several times, noting that temperature and rainfall dropped markedly among the inland mountains. The northern and high-elevation parts of Hokkaido were filled with conifers trees with narrow evergreen leaves, aka "needles" , primarily spruces and firs.

You discovered that the very coldest parts of the island couldn't support the growth of full-size trees, instead housing sub-arctic vegetation, including dwarf pines. At lower elevations and latitudes, the coniferous forest gave way to deciduous trees, which feature broad leaves that drop in the autumn. These forests were made up largely of oaks, beeches, and maples. Regarding animals, one encounter stood out above all others. When you came over the top of a hill one day, you found yourself almost face-to-face with an enormous bear: the Ussuri brown bear though you really didn't care much about the name at the time!

Fortunately, it wasn't interested in you… maybe you were too skinny at this point for it to bother. After your first year, you happily crossed the Tsugaru Strait to Honshu, the largest of Japan's four main islands. The second major Japanese climate region, "hot-summer continental," lies mainly in the northeast part of this island.

This is actually a fairly rare climate, also found in a few slivers of Eastern Europe, as well as the southern states of the American Midwest. Winter was milder here, it tended to remain above freezing, while summer was hotter. Once again, precipitation was scarce in winter, except along the west coast.

You thought moving south might leave the snow behind, but there was still plenty to be found in the northern and interior portions of Honshu.

Though you discovered stands of coniferous forest in the mountains, deciduous trees were more prevalent, as in southern Hokkaido. In terms of animals, you were hoping to leave those enormous brown bears behind, and you did… only to find that the remainder of mainland Japan is home to the Asian black bear! Luckily, you avoided any further close encounters.

You also spotted several green pheasants, a distinctive creature you later discovered to be the national bird of Japan.