As the archipelago of Japan ex tends over 29 degrees of latitude, different parts of the country have different climates, though there prevails an oceanic climate in general. In Taiwan and Ryukyu tropical and subtropical vegetations flourish, while in Karafuto and Chishima severe Arctic cold is experienced. The mean annual temperature is 75.7° F. (24.3° C.) in Koshun, a town in the southern extremity of Taiwan, and is over F. (20° C.) in all islands of Ryukyu Group. In the greater part of Kyushu and Shikoku the mean temperature is 59° F. (15° C 1. The Setouchi coast of Chu goku is warmer than the coast of the Sea of Japan in the same peninsula. In the mountain lands of central Honshu, as well as in the prov inces of northern Honshu, the temperature be comes gradually lower and averages 50° F. (10° C.), while a milder climate is always experi enced on the Pacific coast. In Tokio, it is 56.8° F. (13.8° C.) and in Yokohama 57.6° F. (142° C.). In Hokkaido the climate is gener ally cold. In most towns, except those in the southern peninsula, the annual temperature ranges between 39° F. (4° C.) and 44° F. (7° C.). Karafuto and Chishima are of course still colder. Mean annual temperature of Shisuka in Karafuto is 30.4° F. (-0.9° C.). August is the hottest month in most of the country, with the exception of Taiwan and southern Ryukyu, where the mean temperature in the month of July reaches over 80° F. (27° C.). February is the coldest month in Taiwan, Ryukyu and some parts of southern Japan, as well as on the coast of the Sea of Japan, while in other parts January is generally colder. The mean maximum temperature exceeds 86° F. (30° C.) in most of Japan, and the minimum reaches 22° below zero F. (-30° C.) in Asahi gawa and Obihiro in Hokkaido, 40° below zero F. (-40° C.) in Ochiai in Karafuto).
Having the Asiatic continent on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, the most of the archipelago is included in the monsoon region. In winter, when the continent is ex tremely cold and the highest atmospheric pres sure is attained, severe northwest and north winds prevail throughout the country. In sum mer, however, when the continent is heated and there is a low atmospheric pressure, warm and wet winds blow from the S. and S. W., that is, from the Pacific Ocean. Naturally there are several kinds of local winds, due to the complicated configuration of the land. Violent hurricanes or so-called typhoons (Taifoons), which occur mostly during the last of the sum mer and in the first of the autumn, cause terri ble damage, especially to rice crops. They arise generally in the neighboring sea of Taiwan, and passing over Ryulcyu and Kyushu, strike the Sea of Japan. Sometimes they pass fur ther to the east through central Honshu. Typhoons from another source are said to come from the southern sea and suddenly strike the Pacific coast of central Japan.
The rainfall is of course abundant in the islands of Japan. The southern islands experi ence an extraordinarily great amount of rain. At Kelung in Taiwan, the annual precipita tion is 130.6 inches, and in Oshima of Ryukyu Group 129.5 inches, while in Hachijo Island inches. nches. As a high mountain range runs along the axis of the 'main islands, a greater rainfall is caused on the coast of the Pacific Ocean during the summer than in the winter, while in the regions along the Sea of Japan the reverse is true. In these regions, except Hokkaido and northern Honshu, the rainfall exceeds 78 inches annually. In Tokio it is 59.0 inches. The least rainfall occurs in Hokkaido and Karafuto, though there it is not less than 27 inches, and in most of the island it amounts to 40 inches or over. In the beginning of the sum
mer, when the summer monsoon com mences, the southern and central regions of Japan are generally cloudy and have many rainy days, though the whole amount of the precipita tion is not exceedingly great. Heavy rains fall, oftener in storms, at the end of the summer in the same districts, and they cause inundations of many rivers, inflicting great damage on rice fields and hindering communication in several directions.
It is an astonishing fact that an enormous amount of snow falls on the northern coast of central Japan. Prevailing cold winds from the northwest bring the moisture of the Sea of Japan, especially that of the Tsushima cur rent, a branch of the warm Kuroshiwo or Japan current, and deposit it in the form of snow on the barrier of the high mountain range. It is difficult to believe that the depth of snow on the plains is at least three feet and hi the mountain districts is sometimes more than 10 feet during the winter season. This is a real fact, however; whole towns and villages are often nearly buried under the snow, which is 'cleared away oqly with great difficulty.
Mineral The chief mineral prod ucts of Japan are coal, copper, gold, silver, iron, antimony, petroleum and sulphur. Among these minerals, coal stands as the most valua able product. Over 20,000,000 tons of coal are annually produced, one-fifth of which is ex ported. The richest coal-fields are located in the northern mountains of Kyushu and in the Yubari Range of Hokkaido. Coal occurs also on the Pacific coast of Abukuma Plateau of Honshu. Most of the Japanese coalmeasures belong to the Tertiary formation. Copper plays the most important role among metal produc tions, and Japan ranks as one of the chief sources of copper in the world. The annual average of its export is estimated to be over 76,000,000 pounds, or two-thirds of the total production. The celebrated copper mines are Kosaka, Ashio and Hitachi in the northern Honshu and Besshi in the island of Shikoku. Precious metals, however, are not quite so abundant. Gold occurs both in veins and in alluvial deposits. It is produced mostly in the province of Satsuma in Kyushu and in north ern Taiwan. The gold mines of the island of Sado in the Sea of Japan have been known for centuries. Silver is obtained in several locali ties, but the principal mines are Kosaka and Hitachi in northern Honshu. A mine of anti mony at Ichinokawa on the northern coast of Shikoku is well known for its mineralogical im portance on account of its magnificent crystals of antimony glance. The celebrated iron mine of Kamaishi is on the Pacific coast of Kitakami mountainland in northern Honshu. Iron is not produced in sufficient quantities to supply do mestic demand. Much ironware is imported from Europe as well as iron ore from China and Korea. The production of petroleum is annually increasing. In 1914 about 94,320,000 gallons of crude oil were obtained. Oil fields stretch along the coast of the Sea of Japan mostly in the Tertiary hills. The most pro ductive wells are found in the province of Echigo. Sulphur is produced in several vol canoes. The quantity of precious stones found in Japan is insignificant. The only ornamental stones are quartz and agate. topaz occurs in some places. Among building stones granite is most popular. It is quarried abundantly in southern Honshu. Its Japanese name uMilcage ishi" was derived from the name of a quarry near Kobe on the coast of Osaka Bay. Ande site and tuff are other important building ma terials. Good porcelain-clay is obtained in several places throughout the country.