Tsugaru Strait

The Tsugaru Strait separates Honshū from Ezo and links the Sea of Japan with the Pacific. Warm water from the Tsushima Current flows east through the passage as the Tsugaru Warm Current, meeting colder Oyashio water near its eastern mouth. Tides and the irregular seabed make the currents complex. Migrating fish pass through the strait, and its shores have long supported fishing communities on both sides.