The Eastern Channels is a channel that connects Korea and Japan and is a part of the Korea Strait. The Sea of Japan (East Sea), the East China Sea, and the Yellow Sea are separated.
The Eastern Chanel, also known as the Tsushima Strait, is situated east and southeast of Tsushima Island, whereas Honshu, Goto, and Kyushu are located east, northeast, south, and southeast of the channel, respectively.
The narrowest section of the channel is at Shimono-Shima, which is on Tsushima Island’s southern tip and is narrowed by Iki Island. The canal is part of one of the busiest sea routes in the world. Furthermore, the Eastern Channel is historically significant in the area.
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Geography
The Eastern Channel is roughly 100 kilometers long, 65 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, and 140 meters deep. The waterway runs parallel to the warm Kuroshio Current, which transports abundant fish from the East China Sea to the Sea of Japan.
Japanese amberjack and horse mackerel are the fish species transported by the current. Japan’s jurisdiction extends just three nautical miles into the channel, rather than the typical twelve, ostensibly to enable US Navy ships carrying nuclear weapons to transit the strait without violating Japan’s nuclear-weapons taboo.
History
Evidence implies that the first settlement of individuals that matched the current Japanese population occurred in northern Kyushu, near the Eastern Channel. The channel, including the broader Korea Strait, was historically utilized as a trade route between Japan and other nations.
The corridor was utilized for migration and invasion as well as commerce. During the 5th century, Buddhism and different Chinese books were carried from the Korean Peninsula to Japan across the Eastern Channel.
The Mongol invasion of Japan, led by Kublai Khan, took place via the canal, but Japan was finally spared by a kamikaze typhoon that sunk most of the Mongol ships.
Tsushima’s Battle
In 1905, naval combat took place in the Eastern Channel between Japan and Russia. The Battle of Tsushima is also known as the Naval Battle of the Sea of Japan or the Battle of Tsushima Strait, and it was fought as part of the more significant Russo-Japanese conflict.
That combat was the first wireless radio employed to deadly effect, with the Russian fleet almost destroyed and Japan losing just three torpedo boats.
The Battle of Tsushima was fought between Russian Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky and Japanese Admiral Tg Heihachir on May 27 and 28, 1905, and ended with Russia signing a peace deal in September 1905.