The western part of Hokkaido receives plentiful snowfall,
whereas the eastern part is colder and drier. The climate of
the Nansei Islands, which include the islands of Okinawa
and Ogasawara, is rainy subtropical; the mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation are 23.1 °C and
2040 mm, respectively. The climate of the Sea of Japan side,
which does not include the Hokkaido and Kyushu regions, is
snowy temperate. The mean annual temperature and mean
annual precipitation are 13.6 °C and 2760 mm, respectively.
The climate of the Pacific Ocean side, which covers the
Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, and Kinki regions, the Pacific side of
the Shikoku region, and part of the Kyushu region, is
temperate with hot and rainy summers. The mean annual
temperature and mean annual precipitation are 15.4 °C and
1580 mm, respectively. The climate of the Central Highlands, which is affected by the Japanese Alps of the
Koushinetsu region, is characterized by relatively low temperatures and low precipitation. The mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation are 11.8 °C and
1030 mm, respectively. The climate of the Seto Inland Sea,
which is located between the Chugoku Mountains and the
Shikoku Mountains, is temperate with relatively low precipitation. The mean annual temperature and mean annual
precipitation are 16.3 °C and 1080 mm, respectively. The
Fig. 1.1 Japan’s cultural regions (Figure supplied by Yusuke Takata)
4
R. Hatano et al.