( 14 ) 



south or south-east wind from the Pacific sweeps over the land 

 towards the Continent, and becomes heated during its course. 



The humid atmosphere, on coming ia contact with the 

 mountains of our Pacific Belt, discharges its moisture and 

 causes heavy rainfalls. 



In particular, during the period of change from north 

 to south monsoons and vice versa, the warm liumid atmos- 

 phere is brought in contact with the cold currents from the 

 Continent and long and heavy rainfalls are the result. 

 This period of rainfall called " Tsuyu " lasts for about one 

 month beginning in the second week of June. Indeed, during 

 this period the sun can not be seen frequently. Floods 

 followed by destruction of roads, dwellings and fields occur 

 here and there in large numbers. Strongly protected river 

 (.mbankments are often destroyed, changing fertile fields into 

 waste. The air and soils become always saturated with 

 moisture under rather high temperatures. The fruit trees 

 make rapid and sappy growth. For fungus and other 

 microbes, it is now the best time to show their activity. The 

 unfavorable conditions of things are the commonest phenomena 

 in the Pacific Belt of Japan, in summer especially in its South- 

 ern territories. 



While the Pacific Belt is suffering from rain, the other 

 belt does not receive such abundant precipitation, and enjoys a 

 rather clear spring sunshine after the long dull weather has 

 been swept away. But the sky is not quite so clear as in the 

 Pacific Belt in winter. The annual precipitation in the Conti- 

 nental Belt Reaches its maximum in December, and its minimum 

 in May, the range between the two extremes being rather 

 small ; in other words, precipitations are rather uniformly 

 distributed through the year- The case is quite contrary and 

 mOre or less varied; in the Pacific Belt, and the range of varia- 

 tion is far greater than in the Ura-Nippon. For convenience 

 sake, I will divide it into five sections, as follows : — 



• I. North- West Paft of Ktushu. In this section the mini- 



