The eastward continuation of the Kuroshio and Oyashio Extensions, with which it forms the southern limb of the North Pacific subpolar gyre. This is a broad band of eastward flow around 2000 km wide that, at some not well known location east of the Emperor Seamounts, becomes well distinguished from the two aforementioned narrower and strongly frontal flows that eventually merge into its broader flow. This current eventually turns north and, along with the Alaska Current, forms the eastward limb of the North Pacific subpolar gyre.