The history of straits around the Japanese Islands in the Late- Quaternary

Abstract

Many Japanese geologists estimate -100 to -140 m for the last glacial low stand sea level, but some doubt is cast on their data and opinions. Our estimate of -80 ± 5 m was a conservative interpretation based on dates for shells and peat obtained from the shelf and coastal plains of the Japanese Islands. For most of the Pleistocene, the Japanese Islands were connected with the Korean Peninsula, and the present major islands themselves were tied to each other. Large mammals such as elephants migrated into the Japanese Islands through land bridges. In the early Shimosueyoshi transgression (about 100 000 y BP), when the sea level was about -100 m, the Japan Sea was connected with the Pacific through narrow passages located in the Korean and Tsugaru straits. -from English summary