40 T. Okada 



Even at Taihoku hoar-frost is often experienced. The lofty peaks of 

 the 8ilvian Mountain ranges are usually capped with snow. 



In summer, as regards the air temperature, the great stretch in 

 latitude makes no significant difference. In the daytime the mercury 

 rises as high in northern Japan as in the Eiukiu Islands. In northern 

 Japan, however, the high temperature continues for only a few hours 

 in the daytime, and the evening is rather cool. At Sapporo in 

 Hokkaido the mean maximum temperature in August, the hottest 

 month of the year is 31°.0 C. and the mean minimum temperature 

 9°. 5 C, the daily range heing 21°. 5. But at Tokyo the estreme 

 temperatures are 33°. 5 C and 18°. 6 C, the daily range being 14°. 9 C. 

 In southern Japan, however, the temperature continues high till the 

 evening so that often the peo}ile hardly get to sleep on account of the 

 closeness of the air. In the Inland sea district the air temperature 

 even in midsummer is not so high, but as a rule an absolute calm 

 prevails in the evening, and an intolerable closeness is experienced 

 till late at night. At Osaka the mean extreme temperatures in 

 August are 35°.3 C and 20°. 1 C, the daily range being 15°. 2. At 

 Kagoshima the mean maximum temperature in August is 33°. 4 C 

 and the minimum temperature 20°. 3 C, tJie daily range being 13°. 1. 

 Thus we see that in the summer time in Japan the people wear 

 tropical suits and light straw hats. Most of the foreign residents find 

 refuge from the oppressive heat in the summer resorts of the plateaus 

 in Central Japan. 



Thus far we have described the climatic conditions in the two 

 extreme seasons, summer and winter. Now we shall proceed to give 

 a short description of the temperature conditions in s^n-ing and autumn. 

 In the north of Japan the transition from winter to summer is sudden. 

 In november snow begins to lie on the ground and continues till the 

 middle of April or the beginning of May. In May, cherry, peach and 

 plum trees blossom almost at the same time. But the spring season 

 is very short. Already in June the summer heat is felt. In October 

 the air becomes so cool that hoar-lrost is experienced every clear night. 

 Autumn is also of very short duration. Even at Tokyo and its environs 

 the spring season is also short. In the last half of March or the 

 first ten days of April, the cherry trees blossom in profusion. But 

 these lovely flowers soon fall and give ])lace to fresh verdure which 

 heralds the coming of sunnner. In May the mean temperature is 

 about the same as that in .London in July, the hottest month in that 



