38 T. Okada 



lu speaking of ^Yinds ia Japan it is necessary not to omit men- 

 tion of tlie friglitful rotatory storms called typhoons. As a matter 

 of f.ict the typhoons originate in those parts of the Pacific Ocean 

 near tlie Carolines, Marshall and Mariana islands, and progress 

 towards the west gradually inclining northwards. About half of tlieni 

 enter South China or cross over the Philippines, but the remaining 

 half recurve towards the northeast and pass over Japan or over tlie 

 neighbouring seas. 



Typhoons occur mostly in August, September and October. Some- 

 times we have visitations of this terrible atmospheric whirl in June 

 and July. The Kiukiu islands are often visited by typhoons even in 

 November. We give below the average number of typhoons in each 

 month basing our figures on statistics for the fifteen years from 1897 

 to 1911:— 



July August September October November 



2 4 4 3 1 



Usually the typhoons appear in succession, a new one arising after 

 the old one has passed away from our area. In Japan therefore we 

 shall expect the visitation of a typhoon once a week or once every 

 ten days. During the visitation of a typhoon a severe rainstorm 

 prevails within the affected area. A great deal of damage is always 

 caused to houses, ships and crops. Sometimes owing to the abundant 

 rainfall attending the typhoons, many rivers rise suddenly and overflow 

 their banks flooding rice-fields, villages, etc., resulting in the loss of 

 life and property. 



4. Air temperoiure. — Japan lies to the east of the Asiatic 

 continent and stands under the direct influence of a cold air current 

 flowing out from the Continent in winter and of the warm inflowing 

 air from the Pacific Ocean in summer. Hence the winters are much 

 colder than would appear from the latitudes, while the summers are 

 very hot. Thus despite her insular position, Japan has an extreme 

 climate characteristic of a continent with also a tint of oceanic climate 

 in many localities. 



In winter the mercury stands very low in northern Japan and 

 bitter cold is felt during the prevalence of cutting winds from the 

 northwest. In Hokkaido especially, the cold is intense. In December, 

 January and February the monthly mean temperature is many degrees 

 l)elow the freezing point. At Asahigawa, a flourishing tow^n in Central 

 Hokkaido, the mercury fell so low as —41° C. on January 25th, 



