The Sea of Japan

Why is the Sea of Japan garnering the attention of oceanographers and nature lovers from around the world?

Among other surprises, the Sea of Japan has its own distinct water mass, internal circulation, and an "activation device" that operates only in winter.

Just 8000 years ago, the deep waters of the Sea of Japan were a "dead" zone. Now, they are a dynamic treasure trove of life. A 1000-m thick water mass hidden deep beneath its surface holds the key to this incredible transformation. How did this distinct water mass form? And how do the major changes occurring in the Sea of Japan foretell future environmental changes across the global ocean?

A leading oceanographer with 40 years of field experience reports this oceanographic detective story to reveal the amazing secrets of the "Mother Sea."

GAMO Toshitaka
Gamo Toshitaka is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo. Born in Nagano Prefecture in 1952, he received his BS and PhD from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tokyo School of Science and specializes in chemical oceanography. Previously, he was a professor at the Hokkaido University Graduate School of Science and at the Ocean Research Institute and the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, both at the University of Tokyo. Prof. Gamo has dedicated his career to developing and using new observation technologies for chemical oceanography. Thanks to his passion for fieldwork using ships and submersibles, he has accumulated some 1740 ship days and participated in 15 deep-sea submersible dives over the course of his career. He has published numerous studies on deep ocean circulation and seafloor hydrothermal activity, and has been the recipient of various awards, including the Oceanographic Society of Japan Prize, the Geochemistry Research Association Science Prize (also known as the Miyake Prize), and the Prime Minister's Commendations for Contributors to Promote the Country as a Maritime Nation. His Distinguished Lecture on his research on the Sea of Japan won high acclaim at the 2013 Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Annual Meeting (held in Brisbane, Australia). His other books include Kaiyo no Kagaku (Ocean Science; NHK Publishing, Inc.), Kaiyo Chikyu Kagaku (Marine Geochemistry; Kodansha), and Taiheiyo: Sono Shinso De Okotteiru Koto (The Pacific Ocean: What is Happening in the Deep?; Kodansha).

*information as of time of publication

Japan Library series
Science

Publisher:
Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture

Hardcover
¥2,500 + tax
ISBN 9784866581293
210 mm x 148 mm / 192 pp. / March 2021

eBook
ISBN 9784866581590 (ePub)
ISBN 9784866581705 (PDF)

CONTENTS
Introduction to the English Edition
Prologue
1. What Are the Features of the Sea of Japan?
2. The Sea of Japan Is a Miniature Version of the Global Oceans
3. The Sea of Japan Has Its Own Distinct Water Mass! Explorations of the Bathtub’s Depths
4. The History of the Sea of Japan: How Did It First Emerge and How Has It Changed?
5. The Sea of Japan Is a “Mother Sea”: Without It, Japan Would Not Exist
6. A Warning from the “Miniature Ocean”: The Sea of Japan’s Lament
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
About the Translator

8000年前まで「死の海」だった日本海は、今やダイナミックな生命の宝庫だ。その最下層に潜む厚さ1000メートルの「謎の水」がこの大きな変化の鍵を握っていた。調査航海歴40年の第一人者である著者が、「母なる海」の驚くべき秘密を明らかにする。

蒲生俊敬
1952年、長野県上田市生まれ。東京大学理学部化学科卒業。同大学院理学系研究科化学専攻博士課程修了。理学博士。東京大学海洋研究所助手、同助教授、北海道大学大学院理学研究科教授を経て、東京大学大気海洋研究所海洋化学部門教授。専門は化学海洋学。海水中に溶存する気体成分・放射性核種等を用いた海洋の深層循環や海底熱水活動に関する研究により、日本地球化学会賞・日本海洋学会賞・海洋化学学術賞(石橋賞)を受賞。研究船や潜水船によるフィールド調査をこよなく愛し、これまでの乗船日数は1740日に及ぶ。著書に『海洋の科学』(日本放送出版協会)、『海洋地球化学』(講談社)など。

＊著者略歴は書籍刊行時のものを表示しています。