greatest zone of convergence and mixture of waters in the western 
Pacific extends from about 36° N. latitude off the east coast of Honshu 
northeastward toward Hokkaido and the Kurile Islands; this area is one 
of the most important of all Japanese fishing grounds. Likewise currents 
converge in the Japan Sea, also an area of sizable fisheries. 
The power of the ocean currents varies with the seasons. The warm 
current, strong in summer, flows farther north in that season; the cold 
current which is more powerful in winter comes farther south in that 
season. Thus fish of the warm waters may be seen in summer at the same 
places as fish of the cold waters are seen in winter. 
Fish Resources 
In view of the extensive latitudinal range of Japan, the confluence 
of warm and cold currents, and the vast areas of continental shelf, it is 
not surprising that the Japanese catch has great variety. The kinds of 
fish living in Japanese waters, even with closely related species grouped 
together, number 8,000; according to strict scientific distinctions the 
number of species is reported to be about 20,000. More than 400 kinds 
are used for food or are otherwise commercially important. Table 2 lists 
the species having large economic value according to scientific families; 
Table 3 lists the twenty-four most important kinds of fish landed in Japan 
in 1936 by order of weight giving the Japanese and English names. 
Certain varieties are most abundant in the cold northerly waters 
whereas others are most abundant in the warm subtropical waters. In the 
mixed waters between, both cold-water and waxm-water species are caught. 
— 25 —’ 
16 031 P4 6 tu 
